LinkedIn Clout vs Real Leadership: What actually gets you hired?
A picture-perfect portfolio - the 500+ connections, the comprehensive work experience through the years and the beautiful WAM. This hardworking individual appears to have the graduate programs lined up for post-graduation.
But is this telling of the actual capabilities of this student?
Or, to put it another way, is LinkedIn clout a sign of hireability or just good branding?
Many students often spend hours building a personal brand. And, at a very young age, some tend to be more employable than the average young adult from years ago. According to the Pew Research Centre Social Media study, LinkedIn remains popular among college and university students, with over 50 percent coming from US users who have a bachelor's or advanced degree. Moreover, this is in contrast to only having over 10 percent of those whose education doesn't surpass high school to engage with the site.
For the new generation of today, this appears to be more promising than ever before. It is perpetuating this generation's take on the hustle culture. On a deeper level, it enables these students to upskill and expose themselves to an endless route of opportunities and pathways to explore. However, are these individuals developing the necessary skills that truly align with the company's needs? And with their LinkedIn job descriptions, are they able to utilise these perceived skills and, therefore, lead and solve problems?
While digital presence and networking can open doors, it's outstanding leadership that gets one hired and respected. Attributes such as empathy, accountability and initiative represent how one's values, behaviours and communication can outperform surface-level networking.
Digital Signaling vs Real Value
In Luhrmann, Stehle, and Gehrau's 2025 study, they argue that opinion leadership, the ability to influence peers, is often mistaken for organisational impact. On platforms like LinkedIn, leadership is measured by visibility rather than substance. Their research shows that those who dominate public perception aren't always the ones delivering results. LinkedIn often rewards signalling - polished titles, curated language, and viral posts over deeper qualities like collaboration, humility and execution. An example is the idea of a curated LinkedIn persona. Sometimes, you see individuals updating job titles before starting work or internships. At other times, individuals add more detail than what is required of their job to fulfil the demands of other career prospects. The digital resume has become a stage, and often, it is not the best performers who appear the most confident but the best marketers. Yet hiring managers increasingly seek candidates who can do the job, not describe it impressively. But as Luhrmann et al. note: "credibility is built through action, not presentation." Popularity doesn't equal capability.
What Real Leaders Do
In a 2024 study, Hubert explores the contrasts between fear-based and authentic leadership, where true leaders are representative of fostering environments of psychological safety and trust, not dominance or showmanship. Employees respond best to leaders who are present, approachable, and grounded, not those who merely perform competence. Similarly, Garcia-Salirrosas & Young-Chung (2025) reinforce this by showing that job satisfaction and employee loyalty are driven by everyday leadership characteristics such as recognition, fairness, and consistency. Together, these studies point to a key insight: what matters most in leadership and hiring is not how loudly one signals authority online but how one quietly earns respect through action. Flashy LinkedIn bios don't build trust in the workplace, but people do.
Hiring in the workplace: What do Employers Look For?
A myriad of students today invest heavily in crafting their online professional image. But beneath the surface, employers are asking a different question: what can you do, and how do you show up in a team? This gap between performance and presentation is supported by Eason and Steyn's study. Their insights show how millennials increasingly favour leadership training rooted in practical, value-based skills, not image-driven prestige. Research on high-growth entrepreneurs revealed that emotional intelligence, adaptability, and genuine interpersonal capability, rather than online visibility, are key traits among leaders who sustain long-term success (Z.Z. Rangwala, 2018). These findings suggest that while a LinkedIn presence boosts one's chances, it is one's ability to collaborate, communicate and lead under pressure that gets one hired and promoted.
The Value of a Digital Brand
While it is easy to dismiss LinkedIn as a superficial highlight reel, it is vital to acknowledge that a strong digital presence can play a meaningful role in professional development when used with intention. The platform isn't just a resume replacement; it's rather a space where students can demonstrate initiative, self-awareness and a clearer sense of purpose. The concept of reflexive self-leadership suggests that how individuals present themselves, both online and offline, can be an expression of their internal values and strategic mindset (Pina e Cunha et al., 2017). Their study describes self-leadership as the process of inward reflection and outward expression. Thus, in that light, LinkedIn can function as a tool for intentional self-narrative, where a well-crafted profile can showcase not just ambition but alignment between professional identity and personal goals.
This matters, especially for early-career professionals who lack a long-standing track record. Used thoughtfully, LinkedIn enables students to articulate their vision, reflect on their experiences, and demonstrate curiosity — traits that employers value.
So while digital signalling alone doesn't equate to competence, it can reflect an emerging leadership mindset when grounded in merit. In short, LinkedIn doesn't replace factual leadership - but it can reflect its potential.
Now ask yourself, if LinkedIn vanished tomorrow, what would speak for you?
Would your impact still be visible through the people you've led, the teams you've helped, and the ideas you've followed through? Or would your influence disappear with your digital identity?
In today's career landscape, visibility is helpful - but it isn't the same as value. Despite networking and personal branding opening doors for you, what earns trust, promotions and respect in the long term is how you act when no one's watching; how you handle tension in group projects, step up to the challenges, and listen when others speak. These aren't qualities that always make it to your LinkedIn summary - but they're what your colleagues remember.
In the end, it's the habits that define you, not your headline.
And what you do offline speaks louder than anything you post online.
A picture-perfect portfolio - the 500+ connections, the comprehensive work experience through the years and the beautiful WAM. This hardworking individual appears to have the graduate programs lined up for post-graduation.
But is this telling of the actual capabilities of this student?
Or, to put it another way, is LinkedIn clout a sign of hireability or just good branding?
Many students often spend hours building a personal brand. And, at a very young age, some tend to be more employable than the average young adult from years ago. According to the Pew Research Centre Social Media study, LinkedIn remains popular among college and university students, with over 50 percent coming from US users who have a bachelor's or advanced degree. Moreover, this is in contrast to only having over 10 percent of those whose education doesn't surpass high school to engage with the site.
For the new generation of today, this appears to be more promising than ever before. It is perpetuating this generation's take on the hustle culture. On a deeper level, it enables these students to upskill and expose themselves to an endless route of opportunities and pathways to explore. However, are these individuals developing the necessary skills that truly align with the company's needs? And with their LinkedIn job descriptions, are they able to utilise these perceived skills and, therefore, lead and solve problems?
While digital presence and networking can open doors, it's outstanding leadership that gets one hired and respected. Attributes such as empathy, accountability and initiative represent how one's values, behaviours and communication can outperform surface-level networking.
Digital Signaling vs Real Value
In Luhrmann, Stehle, and Gehrau's 2025 study, they argue that opinion leadership, the ability to influence peers, is often mistaken for organisational impact. On platforms like LinkedIn, leadership is measured by visibility rather than substance. Their research shows that those who dominate public perception aren't always the ones delivering results. LinkedIn often rewards signalling - polished titles, curated language, and viral posts over deeper qualities like collaboration, humility and execution. An example is the idea of a curated LinkedIn persona. Sometimes, you see individuals updating job titles before starting work or internships. At other times, individuals add more detail than what is required of their job to fulfil the demands of other career prospects. The digital resume has become a stage, and often, it is not the best performers who appear the most confident but the best marketers. Yet hiring managers increasingly seek candidates who can do the job, not describe it impressively. But as Luhrmann et al. note: "credibility is built through action, not presentation." Popularity doesn't equal capability.
What Real Leaders Do
In a 2024 study, Hubert explores the contrasts between fear-based and authentic leadership, where true leaders are representative of fostering environments of psychological safety and trust, not dominance or showmanship. Employees respond best to leaders who are present, approachable, and grounded, not those who merely perform competence. Similarly, Garcia-Salirrosas & Young-Chung (2025) reinforce this by showing that job satisfaction and employee loyalty are driven by everyday leadership characteristics such as recognition, fairness, and consistency. Together, these studies point to a key insight: what matters most in leadership and hiring is not how loudly one signals authority online but how one quietly earns respect through action. Flashy LinkedIn bios don't build trust in the workplace, but people do.
Hiring in the workplace: What do Employers Look For?
A myriad of students today invest heavily in crafting their online professional image. But beneath the surface, employers are asking a different question: what can you do, and how do you show up in a team? This gap between performance and presentation is supported by Eason and Steyn's study. Their insights show how millennials increasingly favour leadership training rooted in practical, value-based skills, not image-driven prestige. Research on high-growth entrepreneurs revealed that emotional intelligence, adaptability, and genuine interpersonal capability, rather than online visibility, are key traits among leaders who sustain long-term success (Z.Z. Rangwala, 2018). These findings suggest that while a LinkedIn presence boosts one's chances, it is one's ability to collaborate, communicate and lead under pressure that gets one hired and promoted.
The Value of a Digital Brand
While it is easy to dismiss LinkedIn as a superficial highlight reel, it is vital to acknowledge that a strong digital presence can play a meaningful role in professional development when used with intention. The platform isn't just a resume replacement; it's rather a space where students can demonstrate initiative, self-awareness and a clearer sense of purpose. The concept of reflexive self-leadership suggests that how individuals present themselves, both online and offline, can be an expression of their internal values and strategic mindset (Pina e Cunha et al., 2017). Their study describes self-leadership as the process of inward reflection and outward expression. Thus, in that light, LinkedIn can function as a tool for intentional self-narrative, where a well-crafted profile can showcase not just ambition but alignment between professional identity and personal goals.
This matters, especially for early-career professionals who lack a long-standing track record. Used thoughtfully, LinkedIn enables students to articulate their vision, reflect on their experiences, and demonstrate curiosity — traits that employers value.
So while digital signalling alone doesn't equate to competence, it can reflect an emerging leadership mindset when grounded in merit. In short, LinkedIn doesn't replace factual leadership - but it can reflect its potential.
Now ask yourself, if LinkedIn vanished tomorrow, what would speak for you?
Would your impact still be visible through the people you've led, the teams you've helped, and the ideas you've followed through? Or would your influence disappear with your digital identity?
In today's career landscape, visibility is helpful - but it isn't the same as value. Despite networking and personal branding opening doors for you, what earns trust, promotions and respect in the long term is how you act when no one's watching; how you handle tension in group projects, step up to the challenges, and listen when others speak. These aren't qualities that always make it to your LinkedIn summary - but they're what your colleagues remember.
In the end, it's the habits that define you, not your headline.
And what you do offline speaks louder than anything you post online.
