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With two women running for President – Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina – you might think women are making strides in pursuing the most senior leadership roles. Yet women only hold 14% of the top leadership positions in the S&P 500, according to CNN Money.
In a previous post, "How LinkedIn Helps Women Shatter The Glass Ceiling," I referenced a Harvard Business Review study titled “Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers.” The study identified a key reason why women have fewer opportunities for C-Suite roles: “Informal networks are a precious resource for would-be leaders, yet differences in men’s and women’s organizational roles and career prospects, along with their proclivity to interact with others of the same gender, result in weaker networks for women.” Perhaps women’s networks with senior executives are not as broad because fewer women have access to these executives.
These findings also underscore the need for women to focus on what they have in common with others – regardless of gender – to build networks that will let them showcase their brilliance to top levels of management. That means taking a strategic approach to LinkedIn networking that focuses on leveraging what you have in common with senior leaders – again, regardless of their gender. “Increasingly, male leaders are taking a hard look at the gender diversity in their own networks, making note of whom they sponsor and mentor, and making the commitment to diversify their networks,” shares Jennifer Brown, thought leader on inclusion strategies in the workplace; “the time has never been better reach out and enlist our male colleagues through the establishment of commonality and mutual benefit.”
LinkedIn is truly a valuable asset for all women who seek to advance their career – whether it’s for networking or as a place to tell your story. This video highlights all the ways LinkedIn delivers value for women:
But the really great news is that LinkedIn is also replete with features that enable “common connection” networking. So when building and nurturing your LinkedIn network, focus on commonality. Here are the best ways to make that happen:
Gender equality in the workplace isn't just good for women—it's great for business too.
Job industry/function. Groups provide an unparalleled opportunity to be visible to and connect with others in your specific industry or job function. Some groups have tens or hundreds of thousands of members. By engaging with content that’s posted by others – through shares and likes – and posting your own content that will be valuable to other group members, you can start to build relationships with those senior leaders who will be helpful to you.
Your thought-leadership. LinkedIn Pulse provides access to some of the world’s most sought-after thought-leaders on topics ranging from entrepreneurship to innovation. Following these thought-leaders allows you to stay on top of the latest developments. Although many of these people may be hard to connect with individually, sharing their content – along with your point of view – with your connections and relevant groups shows that you are on top of the latest trends, and it could get you on their radar. Either way, it’s a great way to build your network and demonstrate your thought-leadership.
The companies you worked for. Follow the companies you have worked for. Reach out and connect with their employees and former employees. When you click on the company page, on the right side you’ll see who you are connected to and the total number of employees with LinkedIn profiles. Networking isn’t always about the future. It’s important to stay connected to people and organizations that are part of your past.
Where you call home. There are lots of places to network with your neighbors – and you don’t even have to leave your home. Search in groups using the city in which you live as a keyword, and you’ll find local groups (professional organizations, passions, etc.) that may be of interest. Obviously, an additional benefit is that you can take your networking offline and strengthen your professional relationship over a coffee or a cocktail.
Your alma mater(s). LinkedIn’s Alumni feature is one of the best-kept secrets for networking. When I speak with my clients, few are aware it exists and those who know about it don’t know the true value of this feature. According to Lindsey Pollak in this post “The LinkedIn Alumni tool provides you with information about where your fellow alums work, what they do and where they live. The tool pre-fills the years you attended a school listed on your LinkedIn profile and shows you the classmates who attended at the same time. For a broader search, you can enter additional graduation years.”
LinkedIn could be the great equalizer when it comes to networking for women. Integrate LinkedIn networking actions into your personal branding plan, and connect with the leaders who can help you advance and gain fulfillment.
Remember to make your profile relevant, authentic and accurate so your new networking contacts get to know the real you. Here’s the first step: watch my recorded webinar on creating a compelling LinkedIn summary here.
Watch on Forbes:
