Chief Brand

Today we're tackling cringe on LinkedIn. Let's jump into it!

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You have the War Room stories. You have the access. But you might not know how to package them.

You might be sitting there thinking: “Morgan, I know what happened in the board meeting, but I don’t know how to turn that into a 300-word post that stops the scroll.”

You have the gold buried in your head. You just need a miner to get it out.

That is what I do at Thought Leader Today. I don’t make things up for you. I turn your notes into magnetic content. I interview you for 30 minutes, I extract the stories, and I package them without any cringe.

So, if you are one of the 10 CEOs who DM’d me last week... Or if you are listening to this and nodding your head...

You don’t have to choose between Fame and Dignity. You can have both.

Send me a DM. Let’s get you those views.

Many people think it's not important to be well-known on LinkedIn. You know what I think? That's a bunch of phooey. This episode will hopefully bring you over to my side.

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Come and say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/ 👋

Let’s start with a confession—a safe space, just between us.

You probably hate LinkedIn. Honestly? I don’t blame you.

If you are a serious executive—someone running a Series B startup, a Private Equity firm, or a Fortune 500 division—opening the app probably feels like walking into a cafeteria where everyone is screaming for attention.

So, let's not be cringe. I've outlined 3 things in this episode you should think about heading into 2026. They are really, really good. I'm not biased.

Come say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/. 👋

Today, I'm talking about playing the game of social media in 2026.

The basic philosophy:Goals make us play 'not to lose.' We become risk-averse. Games make us play to win. We take big swings because the cost of missing is low.

Which is what I want you to do with your social content.

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Come say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/ 👋

What we're covering today...

Why You’re Hearing Crickets: Why writing like a brochure is killing your engagement (and why 22-year-old life coaches are beating you).

The Tyson Williamson Case Study: A post-by-post deconstruction of the 5-post formula that hit 100+ reactions right out of the gate.

Tactics: How to use Ugly Numbers, real dialogue, and internal monologues to build an economic moat around your brand.

The 2026 Checklist: A playbook for leaders who want their social content to CRUSH in the next year.

Whenever I post content, the comments section inevitably becomes a melting pot of hot and cold opinions. But last week? One came in especially caliente.

Let's see what we can learn..

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Come and say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/ 👋

Should you care so much about what others think when you post?

Wharton researchers in 2017 found that successfully using humor in a professional setting increases status. It signals confidence (because it’s risky) and competence (because it requires intelligence to execute).

Seems like a good idea to me...

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come and say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/

I struggle with networking events.

More than anything, most of the conversations feel transactional and often one sided.

There is absolutely NO VIBE.

So my friends Jacob, Tyson, and I decided to fix it. :)

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I will write three free posts for you. No pitch or “hey, I think you would be a really great fit for what I do.” Scouts honor. All you have to do is reply to this email or jump over to thoughtleadertoday.com/learnmore and submit your info.

I got an email recently from a reader, which was similar to others I’ve had in the past.

This was the gist:

“Morgan. I love your newsletter and laugh at your Linkedin content. It’s actually pretty helpful and gets me motivated to post more. I really need to.

The problem is I can’t afford to work with you at the moment. Maybe sometime in the future we could? I’ll keep reading until then and support you from a distance.”

For whatever reason, it hit me hard.

I’ve got a startup CEO who reads most of my stuff, would appreciate having a writer support him with his content, but it doesn’t make sense right now. This newsletter / podcast is great, but would there be something I could do to help this person?

These are some thoughts.

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Come and say hi at https://www.thoughtleadertoday.com/

Today is Tuesday, November 11th, and you’re listening to The Morgan Snyder Show.

We are officially in the holiday spirit here in the Snyder home and it has me reminiscing.

I’ve been thinking about all the Turkey Bowl games, the Christmas Eves, and other events with my family growing up in Ohio.

Julie has told me I’m getting more emotional as I get older. I don’t think much has changed.

The other night I was driving my daughter back from her ballet rehearsal for The Nutcracker and had tears welling up as she told me how excited she was to perform. Ok, ok, maybe I am a little more sensitive.

Anyway, with all of this swirling around in my head, I thought back to those Snyder get togethers in the fall.

The colder weather. The Ohio State football. Going to my grandma’s house and eating apple pie.

So many good memories.

If I could go back in time and relive those moments again, I would go back just for the laughs.

We’d play Perudo, and there would be a lot jokes. We’re at the dinner table and my grandpa is telling stories and making everyone laugh. My uncle Josh is doing his best Chris Farley during our white elephant.

As Snyders, we have a hard time being serious, no matter the occasion. I guess that’s the mask we wear to deal with life’s ups and downs.

And it’s not like I’m in a family where you say, “Oh, you know so and so, always being a clown!”

Everyone in my family is funny. My dad and my four uncles are funny. My cousins are funny. My brothers are funny.

You’d probably say I was exaggerating, but I’m 100% serious. I can’t think of many people in my immediate or extended family where I could honestly say they don’t make me laugh or aren’t fun to be around.

Explains a lot who I am. I’d like to think that I have a decent sense of humor and how to get people smiling and having a good time.

The other side of that coin is If I’m not able to crack jokes, (forced to be serious) I get really uncomfortable. It’s hard for me to go through a conversation and not try to come up with a stupid joke.

I’m sure people have judged me for that. But I mean, come on. If you were surrounded by the people I’m related to, it would be extremely hard for you not to come out of that experience very sarcastic and over the top.

Maybe that’s why this whole idea of being funny and rejecting the normal definition of professionalism has been such an interesting idea to chew on for the last six months.

I’m able to be more Snyder with people and they’re actually responding well to it. It’s amazing.

Similar to what I’ve been writing about here and elsewhere, humor really is the fastest way to build an in-group. No one was safe in my family. It didn’t matter who you were. You were susceptible to a nice roast.

It was good natured and no one aimed to really harm anyone’s ego. (Well, maybe they did, but I didn’t feel like a target)

I guess this a good time to segue into one thing I wanted to talk about:

Anyone can be funny..

..and this is where I get pushback.

“Morgan, this is all great for you. You’re a writer.’You’re a creative. I’m a 50-year-old CEO of a logistics company. I’m not funny. I like spreadsheets, EBITDA and golf. This isn’t for me.”

I don’t think I can mold you into a stand-up comic. My clients and I aren’t writing jokes as Linkedin or X content. If we did, it would probably sound inauthentic. It’d be cringey.

I think one really practical piece of advice for any senior leader is your job is not to find your funny. Your job is to find your perspective.

We’re not looking for jokes. Funny isn’t “ha-ha.” Funny on social media really is,“huh... that’s true.”

I think we’ve established the point over many episodes that funny is just a vehicle for smart. It’s an observation. And you, the CEO, are smart. You have observations. You have a perspective. You’re some of the sharpest people on planet earth.

What I’m getting at is humor is really just...truth.

So, how do you find it?

This may sound completely wrong, but I think it would be helpful to run a gripe session with yourself.

(And if you’re in the mood I can help you with this 👇…)

This produces an EXCELLENT content-mining interview. Sit down and type out your answers to these questions.

* “What’s the dumbest trend in my industry right now?”

* “What’s a piece of corporate jargon I absolutely hate?”

* “What’s a rule’everyone in my field follows that I think is secretly stupid?”

* “What’s an email I got this week that made me angry?”

* “What’s the worst business advice I’m hearing everyone repeat?”

Anger is the root of all great satire. A gripe is a passionate opinion in disguise. A gripe is a perspective.

That’s where the gold is.

When you think, “These 25-year-old gurus telling me to wake up at 5 AM are idiots. I wake up at 5 AM to let the dog out, not to build an empire before breakfast”...BOOM. That’s a post.

I also add that’s where you can find yourv oice. You’re not making up jokes. You’re just...telling the truth.

In that way, it’s easy to find your comedic edge.

Wit falls into a few key personas. Find yours.

* First we have the Dry Observer: You’re not angry. You’re amused. You stand back and just point out the absurdity of it all. The voice is witty, dry, and often understated.

* Example: “Our Q3 was strong. I’d love to say it was all genius strategy, but honestly, my main skill was just approving spreadsheets.”

* Then we have the Self-Deprecator: You build trust by punching yourself. You disarm the audience by making fun of your own (relatable) flaws.

* Example: “I’m a tech CEO, of course I have no idea why the Zoom audio isn’t working.”

* We also have the Contrarian: This is the “girl dad” voice. You see the herd running one way and you deliberately run the other. The voice is strong, declarative, and built on the word “Wrong.”

* Example: “Everyone says ‘culture is everything.’ They’re wrong. Your product is everything. A great culture with a bad product is just a fun-run to bankruptcy.”

* Finally, the Absurdist: This is the most “advanced” move. You take a common idea (like ‘hustle’) and stretch it to its logical, absurd conclusion.

* Example: “My 5 AM routine is so optimized, the sun now texts me when it wakes up.” (I had to go with some Chuck Norris joke)

You just have to be you. Whatever that looks like.

So, “I’m not funny” is just an excuse. It’s lazy.

You have a perspective. You have gripes.

You have a ‘funny strategy’ that can work for you.

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My free book Keep It Light is on Amazon Unlimited. It’s a year’s worth of content starters for the busy executive. If you read it and love it, please give it 5 stars (along with this podcast). Reviews make a big difference in people finding my work.

You also go over to thoughtleadertoday.com and find time with me if you need a creative partner for your Linkedin and X content.

My friends: keep writing, keep pushing, and I’ll see you next time.