I am linked in, Linkedin

In 2002 I headed for an MBA program in Delhi NCR and thousands of miles away Reid was busy creating a team with his old colleagues, which was slated to create history. Years have proved it. Reid has proved it. #Linkedin has proved it.

I read this Write an article on Linkedin a few days back and wanted to write.

#Linkedin you superlative, all accommodative, vast as sky and yet so simple world of ours…I fail to find an adjective that is nicely suited so I change the track dedicating one word that comes from the deepest corner of my heart “Gratitude”.

Mr. @ReidHoffman, the co-founder and first CEO of Linkedin, accept my salute and gratitude wherever you are. Though I am not a great follower of great people but I definitely try to figure out the path they followed and admire that silently throughout. You certainly will be followed now on. In fact you are being followed on. An hour back I did that on Linkedin.

#Tour Of Duty - Very first thing that I wish to share here that how Linkedin created the great talent pool early on by following the Tour Of Duty concept. Today most of the workplaces are struggling to find and retain good talents. Though debatable, but both the sides have enough expectations and lesser than that to deliver for the good of other party. So while studying Linkedin journey this caught my attention in a big way. I could sense how a difficult task it could have been for Linkedin to create and grow a cross-cultural workforce in different countries and still infuse a common goal. This Tour Of Duty made enough sense to me and for sure this concept has the power to change the all time low mutual admiration of employer-employee in the corporate world.

An Idea – Just an idea can change your life is what few ad agencies taught me here in India too but Reid’s idea seems to have better logic and calculated long distanced defined journey in it even before the idea was conceptualized and turned into an incorporation named Linkedin in 2003. Kudos, Reid!!!

#Delegation - How to find someone who appreciates your idea at the highest level is of paramount magnitude and Linkedin has this beautifully depicted as well in its journey. Just at the age of four in 2007 Linkedin had second CEO as Reid stepped down from CEO’s role and got Dan Nye to lead the day to day challenges. This is, for many an incredible professional, very very unheard of. By then things were unfolding and Reid must have seen the coming accolades and achievements but he decided to shift the gears. Ah, this is tantamount to a sacrifice as well to my mind besides the highest order of delegation. Delegation and more so delegation out of will and self motivated is lesser seen in our country so this too took me by surprise and thus I mentioned here.

Going Global – These days going global isn’t that difficult and being known in a new market too, is a bit easier than earlier, thanks to social media. What is difficult and challenging is the sustainable development of the company, product, customer, employee and entire eco-system in which we function. 2008 was the first full year of subprime crisis and it definitely could have taken a leap of self confidence for a company to start thinking of going global. Though Linkedin wasn’t into manufacturing nor it was a Bank or NBFC but I reckon this as a bold move by Linkedin to open its first international office in London. It shows how calculated they were and seemingly didn’t move away from the plans of going global despite a bruised economy in its home country. It also makes me take a note that strong companies don’t change their plans overnight just because external and beyond control elements have gone awry. They take things in stride and move forward even if they don’t seem to be moving ahead, if at all.

Take off - After having covered good ground in some sophisticated markets and assessing the customer mood and leaving behind question marks of BCG matrix, Linkedin had Mr. #Jeff Weiner joining in Linkedin first as President, then CEO. His first few of focus were to bring clarity to Linkedin's mission, values, and strategic priorities. Jeff pushed the accelerator and Linkedin started seeing hyper-growth rather quickly. By the end of the year 2010, Linkedin had 90 million members and nearly 1,000 employees in 10 offices around the world. Isn’t that a phenomenal take off?

Market share and Mind share – The admired Linkedin got listed on NYSE in 2011 and had an amazing guest in the then US President, Mr. Obama as its town hall. Before knowing the journey of Linkedin, I had an idea of a term “Mind share to Market share” however reading you Linkedin changed my perception that the wonderful companies don’t hesitate to write their own course and that is Mind share and Market share should go parallel.

Evolution – Linkedin has been prompt in product development all these years and lately they seem to be more open to changes than they were during early days. This again is a trait of highly open and attentive leadership and of companies that never get contented with success. The engagement level of Linkedin with its members has been awesome and this I can say with my own experience. They have reached out to me too on many an occasion asking my few minutes on certain studies.

RESPECT – Professionals and leaders from across the globe have been using Linkedin everyday and I believe it shows the respect. Many can confront saying its just need based but an ongoing need commands our respect irrespective of we acknowledging it or not. Linkedin has given an open platform to millions of professional to showcase, reach out, build career, make money and connect.

What I have got is beyond explanation. It has helped me evolve and adapt changes, learn and appreciate, read the dotted tomorrow, be yourself, express, move on, move ahead, move forward.

You have helped me get Linkedin, you have helped me get linked in with my better self, you have helped me linked in to the global professionals. You have helped me linked in with admiration by showing me those thrilling comments on my articles, poems, posts and successes. You have given birth to a new professional who showed his head in 2002.

Gratitude, Linkedin.

Avinash Chandra Jha