EP #047: The LinkedIn Playbook for Thought Leadership

Most people get LinkedIn wrong.

They think it’s about self-promotion. But the truth is:

👉 Teaching, not selling, is what builds trust and influence.

LinkedIn isn’t about blasting your audience with company updates. It’s about becoming the go-to expert in your industry by consistently sharing insights, lessons, and perspectives.

Why Teaching (Not Promoting) Wins on LinkedIn

Nobody logs into LinkedIn thinking, I can’t wait to read an ad today!

Yet, most posts feel like marketing copy. That’s why they flop.

High-performing LinkedIn posts do three things:

✅ Educate – They teach something valuable.
✅ Engage – They start a conversation.
✅ Entertain – They tell a story that’s easy to consume.

When you focus on giving value, you build credibility. And when you have credibility, clients come to you—no hard selling required.

The 40-20-20-20 Rule for Content Strategy

If you’re wondering What should I post?—this framework makes it easy.

40% – Industry Thought Leadership

💡 Share your insights, trends, and lessons from your field.
💡 Example: “3 things every CEO needs to know about [topic].”

20% – Leadership & Career Journey

📖 Share career milestones, lessons learned, and defining moments.
📖 Example: “When I first became a leader, I struggled with [challenge]. Here’s what I learned…”

20% – Company Culture & Promotion

🏢 Talk about your company, team, or work—but make it story-driven.
🏢 Example: “One of my favorite memories at [company] was…”

20% – Personal Stories

🔗 Humanize your brand with personal anecdotes that tie into leadership or business.
🔗 Example: “I went on a trip that changed how I think about leadership…”

The key? 80% of your content should be VALUE-driven. Only 20% should be about you or your company.

What Makes a High-Performing LinkedIn Post?

🚀 Strong Hook – Your first line must grab attention.
❌ Bad hook: “Here’s my take on leadership…” (Boring. Nobody stops to read this.)
✅ Great hook: “Most leaders get this wrong. Here’s why…” (Creates curiosity.)

🚀 Conversational Tone – Write how you talk. Ditch corporate jargon.
🚀 One Clear Idea – LinkedIn posts aren’t essays. Keep it simple: One post, one point.
🚀 A Call to Engagement – Ask a question. Invite discussion.

What Kills Engagement on LinkedIn?

🚫 Self-Promotion Overload – Every post is about YOU, not your audience.
🚫 Long Paragraphs – Big walls of text are hard to read. Use spacing!
🚫 No Hook – If the first line doesn’t grab attention, nobody reads the rest.
🚫 No Engagement – If you post and disappear, your content dies fast.

The Bottom Line

LinkedIn success isn’t about being loud. It’s about being valuable.

🔹 Teach, don’t sell.
🔹 Balance your content with the 40-20-20-20 rule.
🔹 Write like a human, not a corporate robot.

Follow this playbook, and you’ll build real authority—the kind that attracts clients, opportunities, and influence.

PS: Want to go deeper? Check out my CEO’s Guide to LinkedIn. This 83-page PDF contains everything I know about LinkedIn… and it’s 100% free.

— Justin

Justin M. Nassiri | Founder & CEO
M: 650.353.1138 | E: [email protected]
250 Fillmore St Suite 150, Denver, CO 80206
www.ExecutivePresence.io

Executive Presence specializes in helping top-tier executives boost their visibility, activate their network, and position themselves as thought leaders via our premium, fully-managed LinkedIn service.

Our unique process involves ex-McKinsey, BCG, and Bain consultants conducting monthly hour-long interviews with our clients, and turning them into impactful daily LinkedIn posts to establish their unique voice and authority. On average, our clients see a 500% bump in engagement in their first 30 days with us. Data is continuously analyzed to improve engagement and identify impactful messaging that you can use for conferences, podcasts, and internal communications.