Author: Sonia Mcdonald, CEO & Founder LeadershipHQ

Controlling your leadership brand with LinkedIn can set you apart from the rest. Some days your career as a leader might seem to have a mind of its own, taking you off on tangents from your pathway. You might even feel that you have lost control of your purpose and that’s okay. It happens. It’s all part and parcel of the job; the ebbs and flow that come with the juggling management, development, and teamwork.

There are some things you can do, however, to regain some traction so you don’t feel like you are spinning out of control.

Try focusing on the things you can manage like marketing your online brand or reputation.

LinkedIn – One of the Best Leadership Career Tools There Is

LinkedIn is one of the best career marketing tools available at the moment, particularly from a leadership branding perspective. Think self-promotion to give your leadership career a push in the right direction. You can control how others perceive you through your professional biography – this is important as it is easy to forget sometimes that first impressions do count.

Leave No Stone Unturned

It is important not to leave any of the sections blank – particularly the LinkedIn summary which is one of the first things people glimpse when they visit your profile. It enables them to find out who you are over and above your photo and your job title. Let them see what you want them to see and lead the conversation in the direction you want to go. You have 2,000 characters to really shine and don’t forget the keywords that are specific and relevant to your career. While LinkedIn is great for networking, remember that recruiters search through the online database and you might be just what they are seeking.

Share Your Leadership Stories and Accomplishments

While you may feel slightly uncomfortable sharing your accomplishments, perhaps it’s time to change your perception and tell it like a story. A success story. A story that is interesting and more than the sum of your resume. Are you able to wow your reader or recruiter with something relevant yet inspiring? Don’t worry if you can’t come up with something immediately – give yourself time to contemplate where you have been and where you are going.

Make it Bite Sized for Contemplation

Having a huge never-ending section of text is a huge turn off for anyone. You need to ensure that you break up the stories into mini chapters or sections with headers, sub-headers and, graphics. You want your readers to enjoy what you have to say, and graphics will make sure the story is also visually appealing.

Once you have it all complete, double check your contact details and proofread it to check for errors. Ask someone else to read it in case they pick up something you have missed.

With LinkedIn, you can provide the narrative with you as the main character guiding the story. Don’t think of it as an opportunity for promotion, but rather as an education for someone who is not familiar with your abilities and strengths. It’s about establishing your personal brand as leader so you can be clearly identified when the right position comes up.

LinkedIn is a great platform to develop your leadership brand, online relationships and network with those around you. Showcase your uniqueness and your skills and regardless of how you feel on those days where everything seems to be controlling you, know that you are indeed heading in the right direction. Your leadership career is in your hands.