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When LinkedIn Goes Wild (And Why Professional Discourse Matters)

Sacha went a bit viral on LinkedIn with a post calling out the appalling way people were attacking former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern's new book. What started as frustration with unprofessional discourse turned into a masterclass on why how you express yourself online matters for your career, and why women face disproportionate vitriol in public spaces.

Main Topics

• The LinkedIn Explosion -- How Sacha's post about maintaining dignity in professional discourse struck a nerve, generating massive engagement and revealing how many people share her frustration with the current state of online behaviour
• Professional Platforms vs. Personal Opinions -- The critical difference between having strong political views and expressing them in ways that damage your professional reputation. LinkedIn is your professional face. Act accordingly
• The "Never Heard of You" Chronicles -- A former executive's spectacular own goal when he claimed not to know Sacha, despite previously 'liking' threats against her online. 
• Disagreement Without Destruction -- Why learning to argue the point, not the person, is essential for both career advancement and functional democracy. Patrick Lencioni's insight on productive conflict in teams applies to all professional interactions

Key Insights

• Your online behaviour directly reflects your leadership style, and employers are watching
• The bar for acceptable discourse may have shifted downward, but that doesn't mean you should follow
• There's a commercial imperative to get good at disagreeing respectfully—it strengthens ideas and builds better teams
• What you wouldn't say to someone's face at a live event, you shouldn't say online either

Before your next online comment, ask yourself: "Would I say this to this person's face at a professional conference?" If not, don't type it.

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