Hey there! If you‘re active on LinkedIn, you may have heard the term "LinkedIn Lion" thrown around before. As a long-time LinkedIn power user myself, let me explain exactly what a LinkedIn Lion is and why they matter.
In short: A LinkedIn Lion (or LION) is someone who accepts connection requests from nearly anyone on LinkedIn in order to rapidly expand their network.
Unlike most users who connect selectively, LinkedIn Lions connect with strangers to bridge networks and forge new relationships.
Intrigued? Let‘s dive deeper into the fascinating world of LinkedIn Lions!
Contents
Where Did LinkedIn Lions Come From?
The concept of openly networking on LinkedIn emerged organically in the platform‘s early days.
As LinkedIn grew exponentially, some savvy users realized the potential power of building a massive, far-reaching network.
These pioneering networkers became known as LinkedIn Open Networkers, or LIONs for short.
In 2008, the first major LION group – simply called "LIONs (LinkedIn Open Networkers)" – was created. It now has over 300,000 members and counting!
The group description summarizes the LION mentality:
"This is a group for those who accept invitations regardless of whether they know the person inviting them."
This willingness to connect with anyone is what defines a LION.
What are the Common Traits of LIONs?
Based on my encounters with LIONs over the years, they tend to share certain key traits:
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Extroverted and social – LIONs genuinely enjoy getting to know new people. Networking comes naturally to them.
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Eager to help – Most LIONs want to give back by making introductions or sharing opportunities with their networks.
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Not selling anything – While some LIONs are recruiters, most are focused on building relationships, not pitching services.
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500+ connections – Due to their open networking approach, LIONs often have 500+ 1st degree connections (LinkedIn‘s display limit).
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Accepts almost all invites – LIONs will connect with nearly anyone who sends them an invite in the spirit of open networking.
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Active in LION groups – Most LIONs are members of LinkedIn groups created specifically for open networkers to connect.
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Frequently sends invites – LIONs continuously send out connection invites in order to rapidly expand their networks.
In other words, the typical LION is friendly, genuine, and constantly looking to grow their network for the sake of networking itself.
The Pros and Cons of Being a LinkedIn Lion
As you might expect, the LION approach has both significant advantages as well as potential drawbacks:
The Pros
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Make unexpected connections – Say "yes" to enough invites, and you‘ll eventually connect with surprising, high-value contacts outside of your own circles.
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Gain exposure – A vast network means your profile and content will be seen by more people, raising your professional visibility.
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Meet influential members – Some well-known thought leaders and influencers are avid LIONs themselves. Connecting with them can be hugely beneficial.
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New ideas and perspectives – Exposure to so many different people and industries can provide unique insights you‘d otherwise miss.
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Help more people – A bigger network equals more opportunities to assist others through mentoring, introductions, job leads, advice, etc.
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It‘s fun! – For naturally outgoing people, networking is enjoyable and fulfilling. LIONs simply like meeting new contacts.
The Cons
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Receive spam – Some disingenuous users will connect just to pitch you something. Prepare for a cluttered inbox.
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Hurt your brand – Being connected to low-quality profiles can damage your reputation by association.
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Annoy close contacts – Core professional connections may be frustrated by irrelevant updates from your vast network.
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Reach connection limits – Maxing out your connections prevents you from connecting with more suitable contacts.
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Perceived as desperate – Aggressively connecting just for the sake of numbers may seem more desperate than helpful.
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Risk restrictions – If you send way too many invites, LinkedIn may throttle your account‘s networking capabilities.
The key takeaway is that quality matters just as much as quantity. Be selective in who you connect with to get the benefits while minimizing the risks.
LinkedIn‘s Evolving Stance on Open Networking
When LinkedIn Lions first emerged, LinkedIn was wary. They wanted to maintain trust by encouraging real relationships between professionals.
To limit extreme networking behavior, LinkedIn:
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Imposed daily/monthly limits on how many connection invites a user could send
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Capped display connections at 500
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Allowed reporting profiles for shady networking activity
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Provided a "I don‘t know this person" option when receiving invites
However, over time LinkedIn‘s position on open networkers softened considerably.
They recognized judicious LIONs help link disparate groups and industries that otherwise may never connect.
In fact, in 2007 LinkedIn created an official LION group to give networking enthusiasts a home base.
Yet LinkedIn still monitors and restricts clear spammers and bot accounts. Overall though, LinkedIn now takes a balanced stance toward principled LIONs.
Best Practices to Be an Effective, Ethical Lion
If you want to embrace the LION lifestyle, here are some tips and best practices:
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Be selective – Don‘t accept every invite. Quickly review profiles and say no to suspicious users.
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Add value – Comment, like, share content, and make thoughtful introductions. Avoid dormant connections.
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Send invites modestly – Mass spamming invites is a no-no. Send in small consistent batches.
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Personalize – Customize your invites with a quick friendly note so they‘re not robotic.
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Follow LinkedIn‘s rules – Stay in their good graces by carefully following all networking guidelines.
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Join LION groups – Become a member of established, reputable LION groups. Engage there.
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Organize your network – Use LinkedIn‘s connection circles to segment less relevant connections.
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Vet every profile – Check for red flags before accepting invites from strangers.
The key principles are being thoughtful, adding value, and avoiding shady behavior. Do this properly to maximize the upside of open networking.
Handy Tools for LinkedIn Lions
If you decide to embrace the LION lifestyle, here are some handy tools to streamline networking:
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Dux-Soup – Automates sending customized invites at scale.
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Leaper – Automates personalized invites with custom frequency and speed.
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MeetAlfred – Automates follow-up messages and conversations with new connections.
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Seamless.ai – Automates liking, commenting, sending invites, and engaging with prospects.
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LinkedIn Sales Navigator – Paid LinkedIn tool for tracking engagement, saving leads, sending bulk messages, etc.
These tools allow savvy LIONs to systemize and personalize outreach to grow their networks more efficiently.
Final Thoughts on Embracing the LION Approach
Being a prudent, ethical LinkedIn Lion can significantly expand your network and lead to exciting new opportunities.
But restraint and adding value for your connections are crucial. Don‘t just connect for the sake of vanity metrics.
Follow LinkedIn‘s guidelines, leverage handy tools, and focus on quality over quantity in your networking.
If done right, the LION strategy can take your LinkedIn game to the next level. Just be careful not to go overboard or you‘ll pay the price.
Remember, networking is meant to provide mutual benefit. With the proper etiquette and mindset, you‘ll be able to effectively harness the power of open networking on LinkedIn.
So give the LION approach a try if it suits your goals and personality. But monitor how your network responds and pull back if you see signs of disengagement.
Wishing you the best of luck in your savvy, ethical networking! Let me know if you have any other LinkedIn questions.
