Leadership Series: Networking

Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you know but who you know?” That could not be more true than when it comes to leadership. Behind every great person, are many great people.

Today we’ll discuss briefly what David Bradford, former Chief Executive at Fision-io and Chairman of HireVue, calls his six “Up” principles of networking/relationship building in his book Up Your Game.

Start Up – This is perhaps the hardest part–getting out of your comfort zone to meet people who can make a difference! If you sometimes feel uncomfortable, skeptical or even resistant to the idea of networking, don’t feel alone. It’s not easy with the busy lives we run and with the fear that we’ll be imposing on others. But in truth, what’s the worst that can happen? Perhaps a slightly awkward conversation and maybe a little rejection? But the best that can happen is unimaginable! Deep friendships, great partnerships, an enhanced skills base and more.
Show Up – To make number one above possible, we need to be where we should be and show up. Perhaps you think that the 30 minutes of “meet and greet” before the conference you’re attending isn’t necessary, but that 30 minutes is where champion connections can be made.
Follow Up – Once connections are made, it’s essential to keep them alive. How many times after an conference, meeting, interview, dinner or other event do we leave behind the great connections we’ve made. Grabbing business cards and sending a follow up email can be just the way to keep connections around for the long-haul.
Stand Up – Be real and be the type of person someone wants to connect with. It’s essential that our social media accounts and personal relationships are of upstanding quality. We’ve all heard stories of people being fired for insenstive posts on Facebook and the same goes with building network relationships. Be the person that people want to associate with at all times and in all places–even social media.
Link Up – The internet and especially social media have given us an unprecedented ability to stay connected with others. LinkedIn, Facebook, email and many other mediums are excellent ways to keep relationships alive through linking up. Be sure to schedule time to link up and stay connected.
Scale Up – Scaling up involves repeating steps one through five, over and over again! And this is how good people become great–they surround themselves with people who know more and can do more than they themselves can do alone.

In all of this, Bradford makes very clear that networking isn’t about just getting people to do stuff for you. It’s about a reciprocally beneficial relationship between two people. Mother Teresa said it perfectly:

“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”

Now let’s go out and Up our game!

Leadership Series: Networking

Leadership Series: Networking

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