There’s a quiet revolution happening in the C-suite—not of power, but of perception.
Today’s leaders aren’t just evaluated in the boardroom. They’re being vetted, researched, and even eliminated from opportunity long before a conversation ever begins. And it’s happening online.
This is The Influence Shift—a transformation in how senior leaders are discovered, remembered, and selected. Your reputation no longer walks into the room with you. It gets there first.
Let’s explore what’s changing—and what to do about it.
Shift 1: First Impressions Are Now Digital
The executive handshake has gone digital. In most cases, people don’t meet you first—they look you up. And if your online presence is sparse, outdated, or off-message, they’ll fill in the blanks themselves.
But here’s the problem: the stories people create from limited data are usually wrong.
One of my clients—now a close colleague—had a career marked by a series of short, high-impact C-level roles. Before meeting him, I skimmed his LinkedIn profile and privately assumed he must be brilliant but difficult to work with. I couldn’t have been more mistaken. He was, in fact, a highly sought-after turnaround expert—consistently brought in to fix what was broken and then move on.
Lesson learned: If you don’t control the narrative, others will write one for you—and it may not reflect your brilliance.
Even more concerning? Most executives aren’t findable on LinkedIn at all. Their profiles are so bare that they don’t rank in search results when recruiters or board nominators are looking for someone with their exact expertise.
In this new era, you can’t make the impact you’re here to make if people can’t find you.
Shift 2: Your Profile Speaks When You’re Not in the Room
Your LinkedIn profile isn’t just a placeholder—it’s your proxy. It speaks on your behalf to people who are evaluating your readiness, relevance, and resonance.
When you’re not in the room (and let’s face it—you usually aren’t), your profile is doing the talking.
Does it showcase your leadership philosophy? Your strategic priorities? The kinds of opportunities you want next?
Or does it read like a digital obituary of your past roles?
If you haven’t updated it since your last job search, it’s likely misrepresenting you—or worse, it’s working against you.
Shift 3: You’re Being Looked Up—Even When You’re Not Looking
You may not be actively job-hunting—but executive recruiters, nominating committees, and strategic partners are still searching for people like you.
And when they search, they start online.
They’re asking:
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Do you sound like a thought leader or a placeholder?
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Are you engaged in relevant conversations?
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Would your voice strengthen the room—or require translation?
Your visibility is your eligibility. If you’re not visible, you’re simply not considered.
Shift 4: Thought Leadership Is the New Executive Presence
True presence used to mean commanding attention in a meeting. Now it includes contributing meaningfully in the digital arena. Strategic visibility shows others that you are engaged, current, and relevant.
You don’t need to post daily. But you do need to be present where it matters—offering insights, engaging with colleagues, and curating ideas aligned with your leadership voice.
A few well-timed posts per month—especially when aligned with your profile—can dramatically elevate your influence.
It’s not about broadcasting. It’s about positioning.
Shift 5: From Presence to Possibility
When your visibility aligns with your value, something powerful happens: opportunities find you.
One of my clients had optimized her profile and started engaging periodically on LinkedIn. Soon after, she was contacted by the programming chair of a major industry event—someone who had discovered her through a second-degree connection and was impressed by how clearly her leadership positioning came through online.
She wasn’t pitching herself. Her presence did the work.
That’s the shift from passive presence to active possibility.
When your digital narrative reflects who you are and what you’re ready for, it becomes magnetic. Visibility stops being a chore—and starts being a catalyst.
In Closing: The Influence Shift Isn’t Optional
Influence used to be built behind closed doors. Now it starts online—and long before anyone picks up the phone.
If your profile is passive, your presence reactive, and your thinking invisible, the next opportunity may never find you. Not because you’re not qualified, but because you weren’t discoverable.
The good news? You can change that—today.
Because when you shape your digital presence with intention, you don’t just get found.
You get chosen. You get trusted. And you get remembered.
