Building a diverse network of personal contacts can provide the support, feedback, insight, resources and information that is necessary for leaders to tackle current and unforeseen challenges. This article lays out the value of a ‘three-pronged’ networking approach as a major element of leaders’ professional development.

1. Leveraging
Your Links
Why successful
leaders network
By Herminia Ibarra & Mark Lee Hunter, INSEAD
Building a diverse network of personal contacts can provide the
support, feedback, insight, resources and information that is
necessary for leaders to tackle current and unforeseen challenges.
This article lays out the value of a ‘three-pronged’ networking
approach as a major element of leaders’ professional development
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2. There is no denying the ‘work’ in networking; complementary to their own and that this
people must step outside their comfort was not a distraction from the ‘real work’,
zone and into the unknown. The trick is to nor was it insincere or manipulative.
look for those personal contacts that will
be great at advising objectively, or turn Our study has led to the development of
colleagues from nearby operations into three distinct categories of networking,
a support system. More than anything – each of which has a role to play at different
you may have to re-evaluate your outlook junctures of the leadership transition:
towards networking as a whole.
• Operational – linking to functional tasks
Based on the findings from our interviews with • Personal – linking to individual development
30 executives, we found that most believed • Strategic – developing new
their success was built on working hard and business opportunities
focusing on the technical skills their jobs
required. However, moving into a leadership OPeratiOnal netwOrking
role creates new challenges, in particular
strategy-making that supported the business Membership to this network is very simple
as a whole, and not solely the functional – you are either involved in the job or not. it
specialties they had always relied on. involves interacting with functional peers,
superiors and crucial outsiders such as
Furthermore, our study revealed respondents suppliers, distributors and customers. were
had trouble grasping that they would it not for these connections, the executive
benefit from interacting with people in roles in question would not be in his or her role.
Community Comment
David Kneeshaw
Chief Executive
It is the rapport and mutual
Royal London 360
“Personal networking is as much about
trust of its membership
enjoying the environment as it is about
pursuing an objective. Simply being
away from the desk, with its attendant
that makes an operational
network powerful and the
minutiae and narrow urgent focus,
creates a more open space in which
to talk and share ideas. The result is a
sense of perspective and rejuvenation
of the mind. it is crucial to approach
an event with a spirit of generosity
executive must work to
and hope, not of immediate gain. To
network in a mindset where you look for
advantage from every conversation will
nourish these relationships
be counter-productive and transparent
to others. networking should be about Operational networks are rarely created by
giving and enjoying, not just taking, executives; they tend to come along with
to be a worthwhile experience.” the job. it is the rapport and mutual trust of
its membership that makes an operational
network powerful and the executive must
Community Comment work to nourish these relationships.
Lynda Gratton, Professor However, operational networking should
of Management Practice direct an executive toward the important
London Business School knowledge that bigger goals necessitate
“Building networks, especially those bigger networks and a fuller perspective.
outside your organisation, is increasingly
a key leadership skill. a good networker links are governed by routine, short-term
juggles a diverse range of knowledge demands. The network’s relations with
flows and the value lies in building outsiders, for example board members,
reciprocal relationships that enhance this
customers or regulators, are those that are
flow. Beyond the number of followers or
connections you have, you should create directly task-related, and tend to be bounded
value for your cloud of acquaintances so and constrained by demands determined at
that later you get something back. Your a higher level. But as an executive moves into
social network is a community of practice a leadership role, his or her network must re-
in the sense that it has been built around a orient itself externally, and towards the future.
common shared interest or experience and
it nurtures the feeling that you’ve been take alistair, one of our interviewees, who
informed by a trusted colleague; a friend.” was unexpectedly promoted by his firm’s
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3. founder to Financial Director and given a went public. The upgrade was brilliant
place on the board. Being the youngest and for his team, but he missed the fact that
least-experienced, his immediate response only a minority of the seven-person board
was to strengthen his operational skills. after shared the founder’s ambition. alistair then
hearing a tip from the founder, he completely realised that his time would have been better
reorganised the accounting department in spent getting to know his co-directors.
order to hold up in the event the company
PerSOnal netwOrking
Community Comment
Many executives see personal networking
Matthew Blagg as an insincere trade of string pulling. This
CEO sentiment is often intensified by the idea that
Criticaleye personal lives and business should be kept
“networking is about forming business very separate. But personal networking is not
relationships that will stand the test solely about making use of personal contacts;
of time. it would be naïve to think that rather it creates flexible links to individuals
executives invest time and energy into with whom we have things in common.
networking without the expectation that
they will get something back, but it is time
to acknowledge that relationship building Often, rising leaders become aware of their
is a long-term investment. Furthermore, disproportionately internal and functional
potential business relationships are concentration, so they see the benefit
all around us, not just at events or in building their knowledge in domains
meetings set up for the specific purpose beyond their areas of proficiency. By joining
of initiating business partnerships. The professional associations, clubs, and common
interconnectivity of today’s business interest groups, executives can widen their
environment means it is no longer enough
perspectives – both professionally and socially.
to network with other executives in the
same industry as you. The challenges
that face you at the top of the tree go Personal networking can offer new executives
beyond what can be gained from a purely a greater understanding and judgment of
vertical network so having access to themselves and a deeper perspective of the
cross-sector, cross-region information surroundings in which they operate, and yet
and a platform to ask questions and talk this type of networking is often surrendered
to other leaders is crucial. Fundamentally, because people don’t see the immediate
leaders don’t know what they don’t
link to their own business – or conversely,
know. Only those with strong and trusted
relationships will have access to the because they seek social ties in areas so far
information they need to be successful.” removed from their own interests that they
feel more isolated than ever. They might
Key Considerations for Leadership networKing:
1. You get out what you put in – while 4. Master the skill of delegation –
some perceive networking to be too much effective business leaders network
extra work, others feel it is more about in order to obtain information
exploiting ‘who you know’ rather than continually, not just at formal
gaining actual skills to get a job done well. meetings. However, it takes time to
gather the information they need to
2. Seek out a good role model – a meet their goals; relying on informal
different person’s approach can discussions with a great and varied
put behaviour under an improved range of people, that are not
light and can overcome the ‘who necessarily in charge of an issue or
you know’ negativity; particularly if task, means that the executive must
they are a respected character. master the skill of delegation or he
or she will find a million reasons
3. Find external common ground –
not to take time for networking.
establishing relationships is hard, but
personal interests or networks that can 5. Keep in touch – executives often
be transposed into a strategic domain wait until a crisis, or when they
will help create a natural ‘excuse’ for need something urgently, to
getting in touch with senior individuals network, but the best networkers
outside our domains; similarly, take every opportunity they can
making use of functional interests to give to and receive from the
or expertise will help (communities network; a great way to start is
of practice exist in many areas of with a simple request such as
business, from brand management connecting two people or requesting
to Six Sigma to global strategy). an opinion from someone.
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4. Personal networking can
offer new executives a greater
understanding and judgment of
themselves and a deeper perspective of
the surroundings in which they operate
also feel intimidated by new higher-level they can preserve their autonomy and risk
colleagues, in spite of common interests. losing the ability to protect and advance
without linking outside contacts back to the their aspirations. Our study showed that
firm and the business, the executive will not many aspiring leaders opt for the latter and
benefit from the true power of networking. that this choice was frequently rationalised
as a matter of personal principle.
Personal networking offers the aspiring
leader encouragement in the way of counsel. Jody worked for a company whose leadership
advisors found through a personal network she found to be ‘dysfunctional.’ She
need not necessarily be a hierarchical adamantly rejected utilising her extensive
superior or well versed in that person’s internal network when her rivals gained from
particular field; the benefit of an advisor the leadership’s shortfalls. She would not play
is their wider knowledge and experience ‘silly power games’, and upheld her moral
in business of a general nature. These perspective. Silly or not, the games cost Jody
individuals can offer a new leader a fresh the respect and support of colleagues who
outlook on professional matters as a whole. clearly would not back someone who did not
defend herself. in the end she resigned.
Take Michel, a recently promoted executive
that we interviewed. when he was told to fix and she missed a key message: those that
production resources, or shut them down. network strategically have the benefit not only
He joined a local business association of influencing those around them with their
and met a lawyer who offered contacts personal example, but they can actually form
and advice for his dilemma. eventually he the environment to their advantage. while
was able to contact colleagues within his this individual rejected such tactics, her rivals
own firm who then acted as mentors and did not. The shuffling and recruitment of
supported his battle to keep the plant alive. subordinates, financing and lobbying for key Mark Lee Hunter
allies in peer positions and altering supply and Adjunct Professor
Strategic netwOrking finance sources can strengthen your network. & Senior Research Fellow
INSEAD
The talent of being able to identify untapped the POwer Of PerSeverance
Mark Lee Hunter is an adjunct professor and
prospects or vital individuals and parties co-founder of the Stakeholder Media Project of the
is what separates leaders from managers. Many executives become frustrated when INSEAD Social Innovation Centre. He is also a founding
Strategic networking becomes a vital their networks don’t immediately pay off. member of the Global Investigative Journalism
sustenance, providing the rising leader it is a developed skill that takes a lot of Network. His work at INSEAD and as a consultant
with a series of contacts and resources practice. we have observed people working for multinational companies centres on the ways
that organisations gather, use and diffuse information.
that can help to achieve both personal and at it, who not only develop a knack for
organisational targets. Meeting people with networking, but who have also learned to like Herminia Ibarra
divergent connections, experience, goals it. Traditionally, professional development Professor of
Organisational Behaviour
and motivations forces the new executive to has relied on the idea that successful
INSEAD
establish business over operational objectives. individuals add fresh, but role-appropriate
talents as they climb the corporate ladder. Herminia is Professor of Organisational Behaviour
Many turn to management primarily because However, the transition requires subtraction and The Cora Chaired Professor of Leadership
they take pleasure in being the boss. However, as well as addition; creating space for new and Learning and Organisational Behaviour
advancing in the hierarchy often means competencies, executives must come to Area Chair at INSEAD. She is an expert on
becoming increasingly reliant on others, over depend less on their reliable established professional careers and leadership development;
her articles on these topics are published in
which our executives had little to no control. skills. To accomplish this they must alter
leading journals. At INSEAD she directs The
This forces leaders to make a difficult choice their outlook on what to offer and how to Leadership Transition, an executive programme
– however unwitting it might be. On the one add value. Over time they will transform how for managers moving into bigger leadership roles,
hand they can acknowledge their growing they think and, ultimately, who they are. and numerous other leadership programmes.
reliance on those around and above them
and build it into reciprocated authority. Or © criticaleye 2011 Contact the authors through www.criticaleye.net
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