It finally happened — Nirav Tolia has blocked me on LinkedIn from tagging or engaging with him. A shareholder

For a CEO who publicly champions “connecting neighbors,” “servant leadership,” and “showing up for community,” this isn’t just ironic — it’s revealing.

Great CEOs don’t hide from the fire. Great CROs don’t run from hard conversations. Great leaders don’t silence the very stakeholders who believe in the mission enough to invest their own money.

Instead of engagement, Nextdoor leadership has chosen avoidance. Instead of transparency, they’ve chosen opacity. Instead of dialogue with a shareholder raising legitimate concerns, they’ve selected the block button.

If a CEO cannot withstand honest scrutiny from a single shareholder, how can the company withstand the scrutiny of:

• Advertisers
• Regulators
• Analysts
• The market
• The communities it claims to serve?

Blocking a shareholder does not project confidence — it projects fragility.

If Nirav didn’t want the fire, the pressure, or the accountability, then he should have stayed out of the hot seat and the spotlight. Leadership means showing up. Even when it’s uncomfortable. Especially when it’s uncomfortable.

And just so it’s clear: being blocked won’t stop the conversation — it only signals why the conversation is necessary.

#Nextdoor #NXDR #LeadershipMatters #CorporateGovernance #Transparency #ShareholderRights #CommunityTrust #Accountability