With the kind of drama that one Wilkins Fadhili has caused, it's clear that nothing is ever as it seems. At least not on social media.
Here's my story with this guy.
I had no idea who he was. But I somehow got connected with him on LinkedIn. It must have been one of my tactics to connect with founders and CEOs in Kenya. And the dude was (is/was/is?/heck I don't know) both of those.
I remember seeing his posts on LinkedIn and thinking, "Wow, this guy is impressive".
And this was just from two posts. I only saw two posts, and I was sold. Beyond the "I'm so awesome" tone in his posts, I actually thought he was worth following. And adding a little inspiration on my feed doesn't hurt, does it?
So there I was. Impressed.
And then it all unravels.
The realization that everything I had seen about this guy was "fake" and that it was all part of the grand plan to scam people, was disappointing. It was. But oddly enough, I was fascinated.
I mean, here's a guy who was able to build up his reputation in my eyes thanks to a clever bio and two nifty posts.
How much more would he have done to my brain in say, a month?
I'm guessing, a lot.
We live in an era where success on a resume is not enough. Please note - I'm using the word "success" here to mean, the achievement of something that others can and should look up to.
In this day and age, you need more than just an offline resume. The success included in it needs to be reflected elsewhere. It needs to show on your online footprint. It needs to show on the things you write and the things you share online.
Yeah yeah, I hear you. Being active online or on social media does not make you a "success".
I agree. It doesn't.
It does, however, place your brand a notch higher in the eyes of people should see and experience that success. People who have no idea who you are and how amazing you can be.
Being active and relevantly so online and on social media gives you a voice that spans beyond the confines of your usual "fans". You know - the people who have a moral and biological obligation to cheer for you. Your family, your circle of friends, your workmates, your employees, your church group or that HR professional who's seen your resume.
Being active online allows you to go beyond them.
It also allows you to rise towards and above the levels of the Wilkins Fadhilis of your niche. You can't let them be up there all by themselves, swindling more and more attention from gullible online audiences.
You need to get to those levels. You need to join those Fadhilis "up there".
Get up there so that your legitimacy can shine even brighter.
If people are playing pretend in the media and on social media and succeeding at it, why should you, a legit person, be left behind?
It's funny, isn't it? The chaff is finding ways to be associated with the wheat. And there's no escaping it.
So how can you, the wheat, differentiate yourself?
Because... if the chaff is pretending to be the wheat, guess who's seated in the chaff section.
You.
It's as simple as that. And it means it's about time you unchaffed yourself.
How?
By learning from the impostors.
They have more to teach you than you think. If they were able to grab your attention, grab their antics. Berate them if you have to, but borrow from them. Be stern with them if you will, but steal from them.
They may have done many wrongs but they did some things right. Steal what's right. And trust me. It'll open an entire new world of possibilities for you.