Yes—two indisputables will always drive your professional success: time and authenticity.
Time as Your Strategic Advantage
Seth Godin’s new book, This Is Strategy, reminds us that strategy isn’t a sprint—it’s planting seeds today for tomorrow’s harvest. A gardener doesn’t expect an orchard in a day, and neither should you expect instant results from your marketing, business development, or sales plans.
Over the last decade and a half, I’ve talked with thousands of leaders chasing the “easy button”—deadlines looming, quotas mounting, life tugging at every corner. It’s tempting to chase quick fixes, but real momentum takes patience.
Ask yourself: do you buckle down, study patterns, adjust, rinse and repeat? Or do you chase every post and promise of overnight leads? Saying “no” to distractions—those low‑value tasks, the shiny but empty shortcuts—creates the space you really need to build something lasting. Busy isn’t a badge of honor; it’s a sign you might be spread too thin.
Your plan needs to respect time. Cultivate a strategic, well‑curated network that travels with you through every career move. Tend to it consistently, and it will yield wins when you least expect them.
Authenticity as Your Currency
Authenticity might be the most over‑used word on the scene right now, but here’s why it matters: people connect with people, not avatars, and humans matter in the AI age.
I tell clients, “You look younger—even if you’re a few years older—when you update your photo.” Your hairstyle, your smile, even your choice of background all signal who you really are.
AI‑generated headshots feel like an easy button—but they come with risks:
- Profile flagging. LinkedIn is getting smarter about detecting AI images; a flagged profile can lose reach or even face restrictions. This is not definitive.
- Trust erosion. Even the most lifelike avatar can feel off to a recruiter or client who’s scrolling fast. That slight hesitation can cost you a conversation.
- Reputation risk. Passing off an AI face as your own can raise questions about transparency and ethics.
Your real headshot—slightly imperfect but genuinely you—builds credibility, confidence, and approachability. If you’ve already experimented with AI images, swap them out. If you want to use AI in posts, just label them clearly. Transparency keeps you in the driver’s seat of your professional story.
Putting It into Practice
- Plant for the long game. Build today’s actions around tomorrow’s goals—then stick to them.
- Say no more often. Protect your calendar and your focus for what really moves the needle.
- Be unapologetically you. Use a genuine photo. Share your voice. Label any AI‑generated visuals you choose to post.
Time and authenticity work together: one lets you build steadily, the other lets you connect deeply. Ditch the easy‑button mentality. Get to work, and let these two pillars guide your next move.
If you want to check LinkedIn’s Terms of Service: https://www.linkedin.com/blog/member/trust-and-safety/updates-to-our-terms-of-service-2024
LinkedIn’s Responsible AI hub: https://www.linkedin.com/blog/engineering/responsible-ai
