Forget ‘The Strength of Weak Ties’ Build Close Connection.

Last week’s post, ‘Overworked and Underappreciated ‘evoked a pragmatic response, from award-winning recruiter Chris Sale :

"… choose your bosses wisely": absolutely spot on. Clearly alas not always possible, but emphasises the point that for better or worse, your boss won't change much."

Mark Granovetter's 1973 paper,?The Strength of Weak Ties,?is one of the most influential articles in social science. Its thesis is that weak ties - acquaintanceships that are not reinforced by many mutual friendships - are especially pivotal in the flow of information.

The value of your ‘network’s network’ is the very basis of the success of LinkedIn and other social media platforms, to connect us in a miraculous way with valuable connections.

They can be the missing piece in our career or a business opportunity. We in turn can be the missing piece for them; when reciprocity flows, one plus one can equal six.

This is undoubtedly a very good source of business opportunities - I am an extensive user and creator on LinkedIn, but avoid many other platforms. I see many people relying too heavily on a screen-based only approach, rather than integrating face-to-face connections too. This is detrimental to our careers and professional growth.

I have noticed that post-Covid, flights are fuller, people are travelling more to meet customers and make connections. The truth is if you are not making the effort to see people, others will. I never miss the opportunity to initiate a face-to-face connection with a customer, prospect, or connection.

A warm welcome was certainly waiting for me in County Wicklow, from Shane Byrne and his family and team at Showoff .

Shane has created an oasis of a highly successful technology and advisory company that solves mission-critical challenges for globally renowned brands, interwoven with huge respect and ambition for the farming legacy that has been in his family for four generations.

Walking around Glendalough, known as the 'Garden of Ireland', was truly inspirational, with deer appearing less than 20 yards away from us - it was so quiet we could hear the mountain goats eating!

Being a good host is key for relationships; in the hustle and the need to do business and transact, this is often forgotten. Thank you, Shane.

I had an insightful conversation with Martijn van Os , SVP at MasterCard. Key takeaways were:

·???????Under stress - remain calm yourself, and don't vent to the team. Remain focused on task completion, as it is important to manage one’s emotions and energy towards solving the challenge.

·???????As the leader, it's not about being right, it's about going on a journey, keeping people together to have optimal impact.

My challenge to you this week is to stop holding back, and wondering when your weak ties will make the first move. Initiate contact to form strong ties and deeper connections.

Our purpose at Accelerated Career Results is to transform Payments leaders’ mindsets, confidence, and results. For them to achieve their potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learning.

We achieve this by unlocking the ‘latent ability’ within talented individuals and teams. If you have found this article valuable, please like, re-share and pass it on to a colleague or to your trusted network whom it could help at this stage of their leadership career.

If you are a decency led leader, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have a challenge and want to work with a trusted partner, to [email protected]