Reputations, hubris and a stunning loss of influence – Kelly Blazek's LinkedIn fail
I cringe at the overused phrase ‘personal brand’. Even on digital and social media, you’re essentially talking about good old fashioned reputation – that thing that can take a lifetime to build and a second to shatter. But whether personal brand or reputation, the same rules still apply. Trust, strong relationships, authenticity, humility and to some extent being liked all matter.
Professionals spend hours refining their online presence, building networks, growing followers and notching up likes on the Facebook bedpost. The more followers, friends and connections the greater your perceived power and influence. I’ve been guilty of weighing up whether to follow someone who is personally unknown to me by the number of followers they have. And yes I know that makes me a bit of an asshat but hey I’m human.
And humanity is exactly what other humans like. Which brings me to this week’s entry to the Social Media Hubris Hall of Fame (I just made that up but it should exist). A delightful creature called Kelly Blazek who manages a list of marketing jobs in Ohio learned that it doesn’t matter how influential your numbers make you look, you can be toppled from your perch by the equalising nature and speed of social media. She sent this response to a Diana Mekota, a young professional who had contacted her about her job bank via LinkedIn.
- Don’t press send when you’re pissed off
- Don’t forget how much people will root for the underdog
- Don’t underestimate how digital savvy the next generation is and how quickly your response will be distributed worldwide
- Don’t treat people badly on the way up because you might need them on the way down (Although with the speed of Ms Blazek’s fall she may have struggled to reach out to anyone or anything)
- Lighten up a little!