Network like a Russian Diplomat! What we can learn from mysterious Ambassador Kislyak

The Russian spy thriller that has engulfed President Trump and his cabinet has captured international attention. Perhaps most fascinatingly, it has thrown into the spotlight a previously obscure player at the center of an intricate web of relationships: the Russian Ambassador to the United States and rumored spymaster, Sergey Kislyak.

Kislyak magically appears to have connections to many of President Trump’s advisors and even the president himself. Though it is not unusual for foreign diplomats to be connected to the political establishment, it is unusual that many of the Trump advisors involved in this particular intrigue have provided either inconsistent accounts of their encounters or altogether falsely denied having made contact, evoking the impression of a cover-up, though of what exactly if anything is not entirely clear.

So who is this mysterious Mr. Kislyak? Due to his omni-connectedness, the press have dubbed the ubiquitous ambassador the ‘Kevin Bacon of the Trump administration’, although in contrast to Bacon’s “Six Degrees of Separation” experiment, Kislyak seems to be directly connected to the most important movers and shakers. By all accounts a gifted networker, he has been lauded for his knack of cultivating a wide and deep web of relationships.

His ‘infiltration’ of the political and social spheres shouldn’t be surprising, given that developing relationships is at the very core of diplomacy, reliant upon particularly well developed social skills. Diplomats as a matter of course and job descriptions operate throughout their careers in a variety of cross-cultural environments, where they must stay attuned to the nuances of cultural subtleties and sensitivities. They are also tasked with the challenge of having to align diverging interests: a high-stakes game with failure often leading to armed conflict.

Hence, there is much to be learned from diplomats when it comes to networking, particularly in view of our increasingly globalized, interconnected world. Today more than ever, power is defined by those who are best connected and, further, know how best to use those connections. The highest-ranking diplomats, who in the course of their careers would have been stationed all over the world, are part of the transnational elite. They have a global mindset, understand how our complex world works and travel in overlapping social, political and business circles. Even if due to populism and protectionism, globalization were to go into reverse, personal relationships would become even more important, because closed systems are to a much higher extent based on the strength of personal relationships.

When taking cues from diplomats, one doesn’t necessarily have to go so far as Philip Sopher, who recounted in The Atlantic how at the invitation of the Finnish Embassy in DC, he ‘got naked with 20 strangers. Purportedly, the networking was particularly efficient because the relaxed nature of the event facilitated trust-building. Be that as it may, networking can in all likelihood be just as efficient in more formal environments.

Successful networkers like Kislyak, develop a “networking mindset” and approach networking holistically, making it a way of life. Kislyak has been a staple on the social scene, omni-present at official and business functions and a prolific host.

In any human network, the value – economic and otherwise – of a person’s position is determined by the number and the quality of their connections. Kislyak is a venerable ‘superhub’, who due to his uber-connectedness, is located at the center of a vast and powerful network. His central position is a manifestation of the power laws of network science, according to which, ‘the more you have, the more you get’, meaning that the more connected people are, the more desirable they are for others to connect to.

As a superhub, Kislyak presides over coveted network currencies, such as access, information and opportunities. High-level access is coveted, because it’s based on exclusive personal relationships and is the gateway to resources and opportunities. In his capacity as a top diplomat Kislyak has access to virtually all other superhubs. Equally important, he can trade social capital by facilitating access on behalf of others through introductions and leveraging of his influence.

Kislyak also has access to another valuable resource: network intelligence. In the age of information overload relevant, timely, and otherwise private information from original sources is a particularly indispensable commodity. Firsthand knowledge has become the needle in the haystack of information; hence, personal contacts as key conduits for information have become more valuable than ever.

In addition, being a superhub also provides Kislyak with ‘convening power’: the power to congregate individuals working together toward a common goal. Convening power is a power multiplier. Superhubs are already powerful, but by linking up with other powerful and like-minded individuals they increase their influence exponentially. When they call on people, they are eager to join the cause whatever it may be.

Kislyak exemplifies another law of network science: survivability. Due to superhubs’ tight network connections based on loyalties and trust, they rarely fall through the cracks, no matter how bad the circumstances. Only under extraordinary circumstances do superhubs become so toxic that they are shunned by their network. According to The New York Times, Kislyak has intimated that in the wake of the simmering Trump-Russia scandal people have begun avoiding him. Apparently, others have come to view any association with him as the “Kislyak of Death” as Lawfare headlined an article about him.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what made Kislyak such a successful relationship-builder, and of course diplomats have a head-start when it comes to networking due to the influence they possess by virtue of their political function. But we can still take cues from how they go about it and, as Kislyak’s example demonstrates, with just enough dedication it is possible to build relationships that penetrate even the highest levels of an adversary.

This article is partially based on excerpts of Sandra Navidi’s bestseller $uperHubs: How the Financial Elite and their Networks Rule Our World