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LinkedIn: The Platform That Was.

It feels like the content spigot on LinkedIn has been dialed up to 11. Everyone is madly posting articles, catchy nuggets, and earnest videos in an attempt to carve out their territory on the platform and capture our attention. But to what end?

Over the last ten years, thought leadership on LinkedIn has been a unique opportunity to create a community around your value and voice. Now, it feels like we’re all shouting into the storm. LinkedIn looks more and more like Facebook. The feed is riddled with posts that have nothing to do with business, careers, or the economy.

I used to look forward to opening my feed in the morning. Now I dread it. But like TikTok, I find myself doom-scrolling from post to video to poll to infographic, hoping that the next piece of content will contain something truly interesting or relevant.

AI has made it easy for everyone to post content that’s technically competent but rarely meaningful. It’s all starting to blur together. And that’s on top of the political snarkiness, the scammy connection requests, and the ghost jobs that are listed but don’t exist.

Thought Leadership Isn’t Dead. But It’s Changing.

Make no mistake, thought leadership is still important. But it shouldn’t be a competitive sport.

If you were reluctant to or intimidated by the idea of posting on LinkedIn, you’re probably feeling more hesitant than ever. Every time I press “publish,” I feel like I’m throwing a message in a bottle into a turbulent ocean, never to be seen again.

So why are we even on the platform?

Well, it is still a conduit to other professionals in our niche. Beneath the waves of that turbulent ocean, people are still searching for jobs, trying to find better jobs, looking to build better relationships, and looking for ways to refine and improve their skills.

We don’t have to get caught up in or distracted by the humble brags, the loud voices, the selling, or the grandstanding.

Engage More Mindfully. Don’t Let LinkedIn Become Your TikTok.

Thought leadership on LinkedIn was never about being a “LinkedIn Top Voice” or having a ton of followers. It was not about showing up on the platform every day, or scheduling twenty 30-second videos to make yourself look smart or wise.

The purpose was to deepen your understanding of your own professional value and communicate WHO you are to people who resonate with that value.

In other words, it was (and should be) about building your community. That’s what’s going to get you genuine interest from qualified recruiters, job interviews that could lead to an offer, or even build lasting professional relationships.

That’s hard to do when there are too many superficially engaging or irrelevant rabbit holes to fall into every time you visit the site.

Our currency and values remain the same as they have always been: Curiosity, Integrity, Compassion, and a Growth Mindset. How can we honor those values?

I can’t help but think that there’s a better way to get career support than relying on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is failing to deliver on the promise of a safe professional networking and learning platform. This means we have to create our own more targeted venue.

The Mid-Career Lab: The Community Becomes the Platform

I started the Mid-Career Lab community space last year as an experiment to do just that.

It was clear to me that people needed more than just advice, information, or events. Changing jobs and maintaining careers has become increasingly fraught (especially for those in mid-career).

When you’re feeling down and out, you certainly need tangible guidance and skills. But you also need encouragement and support from fellow travelers who understand your pain and share your goals.

The Promises and the Pitfalls of Community

“Community” has become a buzzword for service providers aiming to deliver value through curated content, events, courses, and member participation.

Sounds good, but how many of us really have the time (or want to dedicate the time) to do this? Not too many.

I’ve participated in a number of business communities over the past year. One of them closed, another is struggling to attract new members, but a few are doing great. The difference is that the successful ones are hyper-focused on helping their members succeed in their niche and… make money.

It may sound mercenary, but if you’re going to invest time and a subscription fee in a community, you want real ROI. You want tangible skills and best practices that deliver results.

The Mid-Career Lab: Let’s Find the Sweet Spot

To be effective and to succeed, the Mid-Career Lab needs to provide those money-making deliverables so that you can land that next job, make more money, learn to grow your career, and become an even more valuable and sought-after professional.

It should be a reliable place to find the information you need and the people who can help you incorporate it into your life. If you’re struggling, you need support and accountability. If you’re doing well, you hopefully want to support others.

This is an “it takes a village” approach to career coaching. We learn together, we grow together. The resources can grow, evolve, and improve because people use them and share their experiences and outcomes.

The Experiment – Creating a New Game Plan

I don’t know if we can get there, but that’s my goal. If we can figure it out, the MCL can become a destination you’ll want to be a part of to get you over this current career speed bump. Along the way, I’m hoping you’ll build some professional relationships with like-minded colleagues and keep coming back to support your ongoing professional growth.

And yes, there will be cost for all this, but it will be structured around what you actually want, without charging you for features you don’t need.

Over the next few months, my goal is to find that foundation and direction for the MCL community, starting with our upcoming Mid-Career Lab Monthly Q&A call next Thursday, June 12.

I’ve been coaching people in my practice since 2014, but I don’t have all the answers. I need to, as a friend put it, “get off the guru stage.” It’s time to pass the mantle and give you the opportunity and the space to meet and participate in creating and sharing your career solutions.

I’ll be your lead curator and community architect, but, as cliche as it may sound, I want this to be your community.

Next Step: Next Week

Join us next week on Thursday, June 12th, at 12:00 PM Pacific /3:00 PM Eastern.

Whether you’ve been a regular attendee or have never joined the calls, it would be great to see your face and, if you’ve got some ideas, hear your thoughts.

I would like to learn more about the types of events, courses, workshops, and other features that you would find valuable. What would make this community really work for you?

Here’s the link to sign up for the call: Register Here