Why you should view networking as an essential leadership competency
Many of my coaching clients either say they don’t like networking, or they simply don’t have the time for it. They say things like:
“People who network contact me only when they want something.”
“Networking events are awful. They are full of people thrusting business cards into my hand while looking over my shoulder for someone who might be more useful.”
“I don’t have the time or the energy to network. At the end of the day all I want to do is get home to see my kids before they go to bed.”
In the light of such comments, it might be helpful to clarify what networking is not about.
It’s not about exchanging business cards, working a room, having unproductive lunch or coffee meetings, sucking up to important people or manipulating others for your own benefit.
What networking is about is building strategic business relationships as a core leadership competency.
Why bother?
Building a network of professional relationships enables you to:
- Develop your leadership capacity by accessing diverse perspectives and relevant information from which you can gain new insights and make intelligent decisions.
- Influence successfully within your industry/profession and across your organization.
- Support others within your network of relationships.
- Get the support you need to be even more successful in your current role.
- Influence your career progression.
- And gain energy and stimulation from interesting people.
Taking networking seriously as a core leadership competency can make the difference between :
Being a good leader who is stuck you your current role, to an excellent leader who is going places;
Being a member of a profession, and a respected leader of that profession;
Being a person whose sphere of influence is small, to a leader who is known and respected by many;
And being a person who thinks and acts strategically to manage your career, and someone who reacts to career opportunities if and when they come along.
If you have so far viewed networking as a “nice to do if I had the time” it would be wise to rethink your approach and view it as “an essential leadership attribute I need to master.”
How to take a more strategic approach
A reactive approach to networking goes something like: “I will set aside five hours per week to network.” This doesn’t usually work because you are creating a task out of a perceived need.
As soon as more immediate needs come along, this task drops off the end of your to-do list.
A more strategic approach is to create a diverse network of relationships as a way of life. This means you need to:
- Be open and available to make contact with people around you, rather than burying your head in tasks.
- Find ways to invest in and become an asset to others.
- Dig your well before you’re thirsty – build your network of relationships through investing in others long before you need help or support from the people in your network.
- Build relationships all the time, as a way of life. We all have opportunities to develop relationships every day, both inside and outside of our organizations – take them.
- Be interested and interesting – building a network of relationships requires mutual connection where both parties are stimulated by the interaction.
- Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself – women, in particular, have a reputation for putting others’ needs and interests before their own, which might be an admirable quality but will not result in mutual connections and a network of mutually beneficial relationships.
- Be a connector – make introductions and bring individuals and groups together.
- Join professional networks where you can make new contacts, be exposed to diverse thinking and build new friendships.
- Follow through – reconnect and stay in touch with people.
In today’s organizations, building and maintaining networks of mutually beneficial professional relationships is the way we do business and progress our careers.
Just in case you hadn’t realized it – networking has become an essential leadership competency, not a “nice to do if I had the time.”
If you want more in-depth advice on how to build networks of strategic professional relationships, you will find a whole chapter on it in the book.
6 Comments
I just wrote about this one of my blogs (in danish though) I really think the key to networking is not to let it be “coincidential” meaning that you think about every network event as a step to get you further towards your goals. one thing is to define 3 – 4 people that you need to talk to during that event – and then make sure you know the answer to the question “what do I currently need people at this event to help me with” – then the event will become more strategic. I also remember to ask people how I can help them, and what they are currently dealing with – instead of talking about the weather or something =)
This is definitely me – I always feel like people just want something from me at these events, and that I should spend the little time I have with my family. If you are naturally an introvert, networking events are also very hard work. Your article, as well as Henriette’s comment, gave me something to think about. Thank you
Yes Lynn, I agree with everything you have said here. Networking is a core competency of leadership for executives as well as entrepreneurs. As women, it is essential to learn to be a purposeful and thoughtful Networker or you will end up wasting valuable time, energy and money. One of the keys to networking is choose a group whose mission and format resonates with you. It’s your life and your time whether you are at a networking meeting or at the spa, and the choices you make along the way effect all other aspects of your life and business. Thanks for the words of wisdom, Lynn!
Great article Lynn – I’m going to go grab your book (I’ve got Amazon.com on speed dial!) And will write a review about it after I’ve read it. I think developing your own leadership platform is vital no matter what field you’re in, and the rules you’ve provided could be used by authors building their platform, coaches building their practice, or anyone who wants to become better at what they do.
Warmly,
Cheryl Antier
Thanks Cheryl, I hope you find the book useful.
Food for thought
Leadership – you ladies are displaying more of it than men – there can never be enough leaders – specifically if the leaderships are in balance male/female or female/male I do not care either way as long as there is balance – balance in government/business is still a long way off? Or is it – ladies keep up the good work.
Leaderships is displayed in many ways – much of it is intrinsic – but reinforced by experience – leadership in sharing knowledge – freely – is a clear indicator of the level of leadership within each and everyone of use humans.
I do think that training in ‘leadership balance’ should start within the family and progressively nurtured till adulthood of our children such that there will be balance in government and business.