LinkedIn Skill Endorsements Reveal True Capability Patterns

New article shows how to cluster endorsements into practical signals for executive assessment and role fit

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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A new article from Tim Noble, President of The Avery Point Group, explains how to use LinkedIn skill endorsements to identify capability patterns that can provide valuable insights for executive assessment and role fit. Noble's framework focuses on clustering endorsed skills into capability themes that mirror how leadership and execution show up in real operating environments.

Why it matters

As skills signals play a larger role in how leaders are found and screened, Noble's approach offers a disciplined way to move beyond raw endorsement counts and translate endorsement patterns into practical capability signals that can inform hiring, assessment, and role matching.

The details

Noble's article outlines a method for grouping endorsements into six to eight capability themes and assessing them through four lenses: center of gravity, depth versus breadth, cross-domain reinforcement, and role-fit signal. He shares his own endorsement data as an example, showing his strongest reinforcement in Lean and Continuous Improvement (902 endorsements) and Leadership and Transformation (763 endorsements), supported by clusters in Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Talent.

  • The article was published on February 11, 2026.

The players

Tim Noble

President and Managing Partner of The Avery Point Group, Inc., with over 30 years of experience in business transformation, manufacturing operations, supply chain, and operational leadership. He is a GE-trained Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Shingijutsu-trained Lean executive.

The Avery Point Group

A leading executive search and talent advisory firm specializing in operations-intensive leadership across manufacturing, supply chain, distribution, and continuous improvement. The firm supports private equity, PE-backed platforms, family-owned, founder-led, and publicly traded organizations nationwide.

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What they’re saying

“Stop counting LinkedIn Skill Endorsements and start looking for patterns. One endorsement is noise, but consistent clusters can resemble market feedback and sharpen role-fit questions.”

— Tim Noble, President

“Endorsements do not prove performance. They help you decide where to probe. When used with discipline, they become a simple advantage in executive search, diligence, and leadership assessment.”

— Tim Noble, President

What’s next

The article includes a practical tutorial for readers who want to apply the approach to their own profiles or leadership assessments, including steps for extracting data, normalizing, building capability clusters, and converting patterns into usable insights and interview probes.

The takeaway

By moving beyond raw endorsement counts and instead focusing on skill endorsement patterns, organizations can gain valuable insights into an executive's perceived capabilities that can inform hiring, assessment, and role matching decisions.