Emergent Leaders Newsletter/059/How to Cultivate Genuine Professional Relationships and Build Career-Advancing Connections Without Negative Perceptions

Helping new and emergent leaders understand the difference between cultivating authentic relationships and being perceived as a brown-noser involves focusing on building genuine connections, mutual benefit, and integrity.  Yet, some new and aspiring leaders are so concerned by what others might think, fear prevents them from acting and building the relationships that could help further propel them into leadership positions they aspire to have. 

If this resonates with you, read the strategies below. Perhaps one of them will help reframe your mindset around networking in a way that feels more aligned with who you are. 

Here are some networking strategies to explore: 

Emphasize Authenticity  

Approach relationships with sincerity. What do I mean by this? Authenticity involves being genuinely interested in the other person's perspectives, needs and goals. As an aspiring leader (or anyone for that matter), you should aim to build relationships based on mutual respect and understanding, rather than approaching them from a perspective of “What can they do for me?”

Value Exchange  

Highlight the importance of reciprocity in professional relationships. Individuals should consider what value they can offer to their stakeholders, sponsors, and mentors. This could be in the form of insights, support, or collaboration, showing that the relationship is not one-sided. 

On a recent Diary of a CEO Podcast episode, Marc Randolph, Co-founder of Netflix, talked about how a stranger who did a cold outreach caught his attention. This individual had done his research and found out that Marc had been learning how to play the guitar. In exchange for a conversation, he offered to show him a few tricks to help him hone his newly acquired musical skills. While not everyone will accept your offers, all it takes is one person to say “yes”. What do you have to offer?

Integrity and Transparency 

Always act with integrity and be transparent about your intentions. You should communicate openly about your goals and aspirations, while also making space to show a willingness to support the goals of others. If you don’t just come out and state your intentions, others will be leery from the start, which means defense walls will go up faster than you can blink. Simply state what you’re hoping to walk away from the conversation with – both for yourself AND what you hope to offer the other party. 

Long-Term Perspective 

View professional relationships as long-term investments rather than short-term gains. Genuine relationships take time to build and should not be approached with the mindset of immediate rewards. This will help reduce potential frustration when others don’t come through on your desired timeline. 

Personal Connection 

Find common ground and shared interests with existing stakeholders, sponsors, and mentors. Building deeper personal connections can help establish a stronger foundation for professional relationships and feel less awkward should you eventually need to ask for a favor. Understand that the same applies to the other party as well. Be prepared to be in service of others as you would want them to be in service of your work. 

Feedback and Reflection  

Professional relationship-building is a skill – and can be honed. By asking folks you know well what they feel you can improve on when it comes to your interactions or networking skills, you will know exactly what to focus on. Don’t assume you know. To improve the likelihood of receiving good quality feedback, ask questions like “What would you like to see more or less of when it comes to my listening skills?” or “What would you like to see more or less of when it comes to my communication skills?” Open-ended questions are questions that can’t simply be answered with a single word. Then thank them for their valuable input, reflect and act on this feedback.  

Mentorship and Sponsorship 

Mentors provide guidance and advice, while sponsors actively advocate for a leader's career advancement. Understanding these roles can help you approach these the right individuals to help you further build relationships with the right mindset and intentions. I would also encourage you to look outside of your industry for inspiring individuals to bring a fresh perspective to your thinking.

Professional Boundaries 

Lastly, maintain professional boundaries while building relationships. Respecting these boundaries ensures that interactions remain professional and do not cross into inappropriate territory. Some examples of inappropriate behaviors would include excessive personal sharing, communicating outside of work hours or work events, casual or inappropriate language, information mining, gift giving. This list is far from exhaustive, but you get my drift. 

By framing relationship-building as a skill, process of mutual support and genuine connection, you can accelerate your growth as a leader AND your career prospects, while still remaining completely professional. 

Emergent Leaders Newsletter/021/Why Constantly Growing Your Network Should Be A Crucial Part of Your Routine

In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, professional development has become more critical than ever. While individuals often focus on upgrading their technical skills and knowledge specific to their domain, one crucial aspect that is often overlooked is building and expanding their professional network.  

In this article, I’ll explore the often neglected aspect of professional development – the importance of constantly growing your network – even when times are good. We will look into some of the reasons why networking should be a vital part of your development plan, along with various strategies to suit different personality types to help expand your network, both within and outside your industry. 

Why is Networking so Essential for Professional Development? 

Networking opens doors to a world of opportunities that may not be readily accessible through conventional means. By establishing connections with like-minded professionals, mentors, and industry leaders, you increase your chances of discovering new prospects, projects, and career opportunities. When it comes to job placement, there is truth to the saying “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” In fact, studies have shown that 70-85% of the time, folks benefit from employment opportunities directly tied to individuals in their network. 

“I have a job...” or “I don’t have time...why should I spend precious time networking?”  

Below are some of the reasons you should make the time to network, even if you don’t see the immediate need for it. 

1. Building a sizeable network won’t happen overnight. And it’s not simply about growing your network – it's about constantly bringing value to those individuals. With time, as you get to know one another, and trust is built, a true professional network is built. The sooner you start networking, the better.  

2. Creating a diverse network exposes you to a wealth of information and experiences. Engaging with individuals from diverse backgrounds and industries helps you gain insights into various perspectives, innovative ideas, and best practices that could be beneficial within your specific context. I see this with my clients all the time: they tend to think in terms of their own environment, which can severely slow progress and growth. In actuality, when you take time to boil a problem down to its root issue, very few of them are industry specific. A lot of learning can be acquired simply by having conversations with individuals who work elsewhere. 

3. The professional world can be challenging and unpredictable. A strong network can serve as a valuable support system during tough times, providing encouragement, advice, and even potential collaborations. Even though you may anticipate being in the same industry for your entire career, as life evolves, so will your lifestyle, needs and career. Expending your reach will help you expand the quantity and quality of your leads should you need to make a pivot in the future. 

4. As you expand your network, your visibility in the professional landscape increases. This can lead to recognition for your expertise, which may open doors to speaking engagements, thought leadership opportunities, and other avenues to showcase your skills to a wider audience. As a result, your network will expand faster than you could grow it without these opportunities. 

Which Strategies Are Effective for Growing My Network? 

While some people love the idea of a good social mixer, it makes others cringe. Thankfully, there are several different networking strategies to suit the needs and preferences of all personality types. 

1. Networking Events. Actively take part in industry conferences, seminars, and workshops. These events provide fertile ground for meeting new people who share common interests and passions.  

2. Social Media. Social media platforms and professional forums allow you to connect with professionals (and potential clients) worldwide. Engage in discussions, share insights, and contribute to your industry's online community. Key word here is “contribute”. Being a passive observer will likely do nothing to improve your networking situation. Add value while demonstrating your expertise. 

3. Professional Associations. Become a member of relevant industry associations. These organizations often host networking events and offer access to specialized resources, learning opportunities and opportunities to meet and have meaningful conversations with other professionals.  

4. Mentors and Sponsors. Cultivate relationships with experienced individuals who can guide and inspire you. Mentorship not only aids in personal development but also expands your network through your mentor's connections. A sponsor is also an influential, experienced individual within your organization who can help you navigate the more specific intricacies of the organization’s dynamics. 

5. Referrals. Leverage your existing network, such as friends, leaders, co-workers, team members, clients and other stakeholders. Ask them if they know anyone you could speak with to find out more about what they do. 

6. Community Involvement. Engage in volunteer work or community initiatives related (or not) to your field. This is a wonderful way to meet like-minded individuals and/or other skilled go-getters from a wide variety of various industry knowledge. 

7. Informational Interviews/Job shadowing. Reach out to professionals in roles or industries you're interested in. Request an informational interview to learn more about their career path and gain valuable advice. Job shadowing may also give you an excellent glimpse of what “a day in the life of” could potentially look like or simply acquire success habits, if not in the market for a job. 

8. Webinars and Virtual Events. Now super-common virtual events allow you to network with professionals globally. 

Regardless of the networking strategy you chose to engage in, the following criteria are super important when it comes to getting a good ROI for the time you spend on nurturing those professional relationships.  You must ensure that when you step into these networking interactions, you are:  

1. adding value; 

2. you are genuine; 

3. you are consistent. 

It’s difficult to argue that building and nurturing a professional network shouldn’t be an optional addition to your development plan; it is a key ingredient for success. With time, the ability to connect with opportunities, knowledge, support, and a community of like-minded professionals can have immeasurable advantages. Embrace the various strategies to grow your network both within and outside your industry and unlock the full potential of your professional development.  

Which networking strategy will you try next week?