Sometimes, the last thing I want to do is go out and meet
new people. But great leaders, as I’ve observed, intentionally network. They don’t
do it haphazardly. And the most amazing thing is, most prominent leaders are
well-acquainted with other well-known leaders. Luckily for us, it’s a proven
leadership principle that we can learn.
This is how they do it:
1) Accountability Group
Leaders make themselves accountable and their lives
transparent to a small group of individuals who can speak into their lives -
encouraging, comforting and urging them to be the leaders they were made to be.
"For as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
For a leader who's isolated, reaching his full potential is
like walking uphill on a rough road to his journey's last stop. But for a
leader who's surrounded by other leaders, reaching his potential is like
driving a Ferrari on a smooth race track to his destination. It takes the
influence of other leaders through constant and regular interactions for a
person to speed up his growth as a leader.
2) Connecting Offline
Leaders form personal connections. And in today's world of
fast and virtual links, nothing beats the slow, old school and in the flesh
interactions. Unplug from social media. Go Out. Meet people. Build genuine
relationships. Most of the relationships in our lives that have the potential
to last a lifetime were forged face to face.
3) Networking to Add Value
Don’t go to a social gathering hunting for your next sales
prospect. Leaders always seek to add value to people. For they know that he who
adds value to others will himself receive value. That's just how it works. That’s
why teachers are so called experts in their subject because they’re the ones
learning the most when they teach. You grow more when you help others grow.
Moving forward, how do you plan to surround yourself with other
successful leaders and regularly connect offline with them? How do you replace
the parasitic mentality with a value-adding mindset in your relationships?
