4 minute read
“Finding your tribe, building your professional network”.
“Finding your tribe, building your professional network”.
I was always a dreamer. From the age of 15, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer (of some sort). I knew that I wanted to help people. I understood that I was a great public speaker and debater, and I was very confident in that. I dreamt of courtrooms, I watched all the crime documentaries, I also did very well in my A-Levels, achieving the highest grades in my cohort.
But I soon realised, that my successes were limited without networking.
I then went to university, focussed on reading, and being the best academic that I could be. But that yielded little results. Yes, I attained the grades, and was awarded numerous awards and Scholarships…
… but my successes were still limited without networking.
When I came out of university, the cliché phrase that we all hear: “Your net-worth is your network” began to dawn on me. Being academic was not enough, striving to be independent at the expense of community was futile, and the false ideology that seems to be engrained within every crevice of society that “I can do this by myself” was proving to not yield many results. I came to the lifealtering conclusion that:
True success starts not only with competence, but by intentional relationship building.
I’ll give you three reasons why:
1. “I can do it all by myself” is self-limiting: In my short career, I have never been more energised, more focussed and more passionate about law. This is not because I have had many achievements. But its because I’ve had conversations with those who have a lot more experience, a lot less experience and, those who are in similar positions to me. Every conversation has the power to change the trajectory of your life. This is, by no means an exaggeration, but a beautiful reality about the power of networking. One sentence can change everything. One idea can make millions. One piece of advice that you give others, can significantly change their perception of themselves and those around them. Expanding your professional network leads to more inspiration and more focus. You can pick up the pieces from somebody else’s story and make it your own.
2. Learning is key for growth: Social media is ever-changing. With the rise of AI and increasing technology, there is not much room for real learning. I’m talking about the ‘learning’ that nobody does
for you (sounds weird to say that!). The ‘learning’ that is not quick. The ‘learning’ that does not pop a question into an AI generated machine, which articulates opinions, matters and conversation in an impressive way. What constitutes real learning is that which is acquired through study, experience or teaching. When you expand your network, you automatically open yourself up to learning from real people, with real experiences. Your horizons stretch. Now I am in the working world, I realised that the world is so vast, and university was a bubble. In University, I was dealing with theories and coursework (which, in my opinion, was needed). But speaking to people in different fields, with a ton load of experience transcended theory and helped practicalize essential skills needed to be the best I could be. Do you see the difference? Communication with others from the vast fields, provides hands on learning that helps you grow.
3. One can reach 1000 but two can reach 10,000: I love this quote. It comes from the Old Testament in Deuteronomy. It’s a true depiction of the potent impact that coming together does. One person can have a great idea, but it takes a team to make it manifest. If you want to go far, go together.
It would not be sensible for me to speak about building your network, without speaking about the deadly ‘imposter syndrome’, fear of rejection and embarrassment and its effect on meaningful conversations. I hold weekly mentoring sessions, and these topics seem to be a common denominator.
For me, I used to shy away from conversations because I had a stammer when I got nervous. My fear was, in my opinion, a stumbling block for the advancement into the next stages of my career. A motto that has stood by me since I started my networking journey is: “If somebody tells you no, nobody dies”. As silly as this may seem, it is truth. It is a reminder that “no” is not final, its simply redirection. “Failure” is not really failure, it’s a reminder that you are on a long journey with different stages. To effectively build a network, you must get out of your own way and have difficult conversations, branch out and break the barriers.
You will be shocked at the person you become and who you meet along the way.
