EP #027: Controversy is a good thing

Executive Summary:

• Fear of Controversy: Many individuals hesitate to post on LinkedIn due to the fear of saying the wrong thing and facing negative feedback. However, controversy can be valuable for personal growth and audience engagement.
• Bold Ideas Attract Attention: Sharing bold opinions, even if controversial, can attract significant attention and build an audience. An example includes a client who gained 400 followers in a week after a post on hiring contractors over full-time employees received over 100,000 views and 188 comments.
• Leveraging Controversy Without Taking Sides: Highlighting contentious industry trends without taking sides can foster productive discussions. An IT executive recruiter's post on CISO-CIO tensions garnered over 40,000 views, sparking a constructive debate.
• Constructive Pushback: Sharing personal reflections and receiving pushback can lead to important decisions. A post about considering office closure between Christmas and New Year’s Day led to 240 comments and nearly 200,000 views, pushing the author to make a definitive decision.
• LinkedIn as a Safe Starting Point: LinkedIn is a relatively safe platform for engaging in controversial discussions due to the professional demeanor of its users. This makes it an ideal platform for building a social media following while managing potential negative feedback.

Deep Dive:

The number one fear people have when they start posting on LinkedIn: I’m afraid of saying the wrong thing.

I get it—controversy can be nerve-wracking. We’ve seen so many stories of people getting canceled. Some cases were for good reason. And I see the positive sides of a world where people are more mindful and decent in their communication.

But there’s also value in controversy. Personally, I WANT to read diverse and authentic views, even if they’re uncomfortable to hear. They challenge me and I can learn from them.

Plus, courting controversy can be good for you. It can push you forward as a thought leader and engage your audience.?

Here are three recent examples from our clients who benefitted from a bit of controversy on LinkedIn:

#1 - Bold ideas build an audience

People crave bold opinions, even if they don’t always align with them.?

Last year, one of my clients posted a hot take on the benefits of hiring contractors over full-time employees. He argued that doing so gives employers and workers a chance to see if they are a good long-term fit. His post garnered over 100,000 views and 188 comments with strong opinions supporting or rejecting his hiring approach.?

I’m not surprised. Work as we know it is going through all sorts of transformation right now—mass layoffs, the rise of fractional employees, outsourcing, AI. People are scared, and it’s hard to embrace new ideas. But they’re worth hearing out.

All the attention made our client nervous at first. But then he looked at his analytics. He gained almost 400 followers in a week.?

Your detractors will be the most vocal. But there are many people who will find value in your fresh ideas. If you’re authentic and thoughtful in the ways you share them, you’ll build an audience that wants to learn from you.

#2: You don’t have to be controversial to leverage controversy

One of my clients is an IT executive recruiter. He noticed a trend in the tension between CISOs and CIOs. He didn’t pick sides, but used his LinkedIn platforms to spotlight a spicy topic.

And he used his insights to educate on solutions:

• How companies can ease the tension
• What CISOs and CIOs should be looking for in new roles to avoid conflict

His post, which had more than 40,000 views, stirred lots of controversial debate in the comments. But that controversy wasn’t directed at him. It was more like a virtual roundtable, with CISOs and CIOs adding perspectives to the conversation. And because my client set a constructive tone, the commenters followed suit.

#3 Pushback can push you forward

In January, I shared my regret about keeping the office open between Christmas and New Year’s Day. In the post, I said I was “considering” closing the office during the last week of December 2024.

My post got over 240 comments and nearly 200,000 views. While some people cheered me for being honest about my feelings, just as many people called me out for being indecisive. They told me it was unfair to my team to post these thoughts publicly but not give them clarity on their holiday schedule.

They’re right. Hearing so many people challenge my waffling inspired me to make a clear call now.

Without hearing this pushback, I would’ve idled on the decision longer than necessary.

Tl;dr: stir the pot

Have I convinced you that controversy can be a powerful tool for learning, facilitating discussion, and engaging an audience?

Yeah, yeah, that’s all good, but I still don’t want to deal with all the social media nastiness.

I hear you.

Here’s the thing: If you want to build a social media following but aren’t ready to feel the wrath of trolls, LinkedIn is a great starting point. I call it the bumper bowling of social media. People are mindful of their professional reputations, so they tend to be more mature with their comments, even when they disagree with your point of view.?

So don’t let the fear of a little heat keep you silent. Controversy can grow our audiences and help us grow as leaders.