4 days ago
Chasing clout on LinkedIn: Treading the fine line between being real and self-serving
Can we be real when it comes to celebrating professional milestones and branding ourselves?
The Usual Place Podcast Chasing clout on LinkedIn: Treading the fine line between being real and self-serving
A recent viral post on LinkedIn - the professional networking social media platform - has cast the spotlight on how some users have pushed content about their jobs and professional endeavours into something more self-serving and performative.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Ms Janney Hujic shared about what she claimed was a 'chance encounter' with former DBS CEO Piyush Gupta in a cafe in Bali.
She praised his 'quiet conviction' and how he had shared wise words for her upcoming all-women's expedition in Mongolia.
It read like a cool connection moment, until it turned out to be fake.
Mr Gupta, whom she tagged, commented on the post to clarify that she was mistaken. He wrote: 'Sorry to disillusion you. That isn't me!'
While the whole episode took a darker turn later on - with Ms Hujic claiming it was a blackmail post for money by her freelance social media manager in the Philippines - it also sparked a conversation about humble bragging, toxic positivity or exaggerating professional interactions in the quest to stand out on a platform like LinkedIn's.
In this episode of The Usual Place, Ms Crystal Lim-Lange - co-founder of Forest Wolf, a leadership consultancy that specialises in leadership transformation and personal growth - dropped by to talk about how we can be real when it comes to celebrating professional milestones and branding ourselves.
Talking about the viral post, Ms Lim-Lange, who is also a two-time LinkedIn Top Voice, said: 'We are all dealing with human beings, and there are many reasons why people can show up on social media in a certain way. We don't know the full story.'
The post by Ms Hujic has since been deleted.
Our podcast conversation turned to the importance of career visibility, how this incident highlighted the temptation to appear connected or successful, and how to avoid being performative.
On the matter of showing up authentically, the entrepreneur, who also hosts a podcast called Comfort And Growth with Crystal Lim-Lange, said: 'Don't say something because you want to say something. Say something because you have something to say.'
I also wanted to know how someone in Ms Hujic's position can make a comeback after a professional gaffe?
Ms Lim-Lange said: 'You can't go wrong if you are doing your best and it's can hold that against you to some extent, because what else can we do other than our best?'
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:12 Many reasons why people show up differently on social media
4:05 Casual racism behind the viral LinkedIn post? Why we need to be conscious of what we say
8:16 Career visibility is important, but when does it become self-serving or a humblebrag?
12:25 What this incident highlights about the temptation to appear connected or successful
13:59 Ms Lim-Lange's checklist for her LinkedIn posts: Is it educational, entertaining or inspirational?
15:30 When to shine the spotlight on your professional journey
17:16 Future jobs will require 'high touch and trust'
18:58 'If you are just a warm body, then you are replaceable.': A lesson learnt from her investing banking days
20:20 What does building career visibility entail?
25:05 'In order to be visible... you need to create value.': Ms Lim-Lange
28:17 How can I be real on a professional networking social media platform like LinkedIn?
30:39 Record and share insights from your work, avoid being performative to sell yourself
36:07 How do we recover from a professional gaffe?
38:21 'Authenticity is the ultimate cure-all.': Ms Lim-Lange's take on why doubling-down doesn't work
42:53 The difference between reacting and responding
Ms Lim-Lange's podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@
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Filmed by ST Video: Joel Chng and T Kumar
Edited by ST Podcast producers: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh and Natasha Liew
ST Podcasts' executive producer: Ernest Luis
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