Network like a leader

Jeni Smith, Founder & Networking Strategist at NetKno and part-time PhD candidate, shares the five key characteristics of a good leader in networking.

The world of networking involves a range of complex power dynamics and social etiquettes that can be difficult to navigate. People leveraging connections to get ahead, cultural and institutional hierarchies, not to mention the general social awkwardness and impostor syndrome all make networking environments widely feared.

Yet networking can provide a platform to catapult both yourself and your work into the spotlight and open doors that would otherwise be firmly shut. Utilising these opportunities as a leader, you’ll play a very different part to someone simply out for what they can get.

Here’s what I’ve witnessed as the key characteristics of a leader through networking:

Equality

It’s easy to get swept away with the excitement of networking events – fancy dinners, open bars, glamorous global venues – but once you allow your ego to come into play, your relationships suffer. As we climb our chosen ladders, success can go to our heads and that’s when power dynamics can come into play –we deem ourselves above people just starting out in their careers or on their academic journey and we treat them as such. A leader will network and engage with each and every person equally, giving them the same amount of time and respect as the next, regardless of job title, ranking, salary, or status. People are people, and leaders understand that the way we treat everyone we encounter, be that the cleaner at the café or the CEO of a multi-national, we’re always networking and leaving people with an impression of who we are and what we stand for.

Transparency

A huge part of effective networking is building relationships based on trust. Trust is also a powerful characteristic of a great leader as we need to be able to follow them, sometimes blindly. Being honest and telling the truth are traits I’d expect from anyone with good values but going that step further to full transparency is what real leaders do for their networks. It could be putting our hands up in the air and saying, “I’m really sorry, I messed up.” Or having the courage to be our authentic selves. Transparency can come from actions, or words, but they always need to align. Our online and in-person personae should match, we should look for ways to speak our truths, and we shouldn’t be afraid to show vulnerability because that’s what makes us relatable and that’s what makes us human.

Diversity

One of the greatest assets that networking provides is access to knowledge, and a great leader is aware that they don’t know everything but are willing to learn. Utilising networking events as a way of expanding your knowledge can be hugely impactful to you, your work, and your career progression, but it’s important to look outside of our areas of expertise in order to build diverse networks.

If you only ever network with people who know what you know, you’ll never learn anything new. Approach networking strategically and tap into the knowledge and expertise of people working in different fields, sectors, cultures, and see what you can learn from them.

As a leader it’s important to try to see the world from different perspectives. Not only will this allow you to empathise with others, but it will also spark new innovative ideas, help you to problem solve, form collaborations, and apply your own knowledge into new areas.

Value added

The best networkers are always the ones who add value to others. The more value we add, the more valuable we become, and the more people want to get to know us. Adding value to the people in your network raises your social capital, whilst creating a network of people who are continuously looking for ways they can add value back to you in return.

Every time you introduce two people to each other or recommend someone for a project or a promotion at work, you’re adding value to the people in your network. Leaders serve their people, and networkers serve their networks.

We can often get wrapped up in the volume of connections we have in our networks – social media has a big part to play in this – but actually if we had a network of just 20 people whom we really knew, and nurtured relationships with whilst continuously adding value to, then that is an incredibly powerful network to be at the centre of.

Time

Just like anything, the greatest thing you can commit to your network is your network itself. We often focus on meeting new people when we network, but actually the real value comes from nurturing the relationships we've already got.

Leaders recognise the value of each person on an individual level, so spending time in their presence, looking for ways they can support and add value, and being a helping hand or listening ear when it’s needed is the greatest way to nurture your network as a leader.

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