Your LinkedIn network is one of your most valuable business assets. Therefore, you should add people to your LinkedIn network very strategically. But people change and circumstances change, and occasionally you may find it necessary to remove someone from your network.
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Why should you drop someone from your network?

This list is certainly not exhaustive, but here are a few situations that might prompt you to take action:
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  • Someone is filling your Inbox with spam on a consistent basis
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  • Without your permission, somebody is dropping your name in voicemails all over town in an effort to get the appointments he's been trying to land for years with your friends
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  • One of your connections has become a direct competitor
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  • You can't keep up with the inordinate amount of LinkedIn Introductions someone is asking you to make
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  • The day after you connect with someone, she sends you a lengthy canned solicitation message that has no relevance to you and your business
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I'm sure you get the picture. But don't lose sight of the fact that each and every first-level connection is actually helping you in the search ranking algorithm on LinkedIn. So think twice before you disconnect. For instance, the fact that you've never met a particular person in your network may not be reason enough to disconnect.
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How to drop someone from your network

There are several ways to disconnect with someone on LinkedIn, but one is preferable because the person won't be able to see that you looked at his/her profile before disconnecting. And don't worry--people do not receive a note from LinkedIn saying you dropped them.

1.  Click the Connections tab on the top toolbar.Screen Shot 2015-08-25 at 4.53.50 PM

2.  Click the magnifying glass on the top right and then type the person's name in the Search box.

3.  Once the person's name shows up, click the down arrow and select Remove Connection.

After you disconnect, any recommendations or endorsements between you and that person will be eliminated. The person will not be able to reinvite you, but if you have the person's email address, you can reinvite him/her anytime in the future.

And don't feel guilty if you choose to disconnect. It's your professional network, and you should be comfortable with who's in that network.