The Power of Your "Inner Network"

Great careers are made and developed over time and nurtured with some non-negotiable and invaluable elements. Many of the elements are self-explanatory: hard work, ethics, creativity, authenticity, and character.

One of the most underestimated contributors to a great career and professional life, are the people you surround yourself with both in and outside of your company and profession. Your “inner network” can be your greatest asset to professional growth. I was lucky enough to learn this early on in my career after reading Tom Morris' great book, True Success.

One of the key points of advice in the book that Tom shared is that you have to develop a network of people in your life who you can trust, learn from, communicate ideas to, seek feedback from and use as a sounding board in those pivotal moments in your career. These individuals are your advisors who, no matter what, you believe want only what is best for you and your life.

In my career, I am so fortunate to have a number of people in my network who fit this description and I am forever grateful to them for how they have helped me and guided me to make the right decisions at the right times.

Here are the 5 most important attributes of people you should look for when assessing if they should be included in your "inner network."

Emotional Intelligence: Is the person someone who can see beyond the facts of the issue or topic you need help with and explore how the decision will impact you as it relates to your professional development? For example, one of the best pieces of advice that I received from someone in my inner network had to do with a promotion I had sought many years ago. The position was a big stretch for me, but I went after it anyway. I got the promotion, but was stressed about the salary and the added pressure that put on the performance in this position. One of my most trusted inner network colleagues told me to not accept or negotiate a raise for 6 months so that both my employer and I could gauge if things were moving in the right direction. I did exactly that, my company was shocked as it was unorthodox to not increase salary with a promotion, but things worked out for both the company and I as (thank God) - things moved in a better than expected direction. I also feel it demonstrated that my driver was to do well, not money. I would have never thought of doing that without the wise counsel I received.

Diverse Perspective: Select people to be in your network who are outside of your industry. Perhaps a friend from college, someone you met in your personal life, etc. I used to take for granted that everyone that I spoke with who had a job understood the dynamics and nuances of healthcare. Not true. I have grown professionally by learning about other industries and professions from people in my network and applied great ideas and best practices to various positions I have held based on ideas that made sense from those both inside and outside the healthcare sector.

Candor: It doesn’t serve you well to surround yourself with "yes people." You want your trusted advisors to tell you the truth, at all costs. I remember at one company I worked for I had a difficult time recruiting people because the company had a bad reputation for its culture. A good friend in my inner network advised me to address that proactively when speaking with candidates and engage in a dialogue about the issue, not ignore it. The advice was golden, and I used that tip from that day on and it was highly effective. It was tough to hear the truth about perceptions of my organization, but I needed someone who was not afraid to tell me that so I could refute some of those perceptions.

Trust: It takes a lot to open up to people in professional circles and to gain trust on both sides. Respect and trust are a two-way street. As such, you must rely on your gut instinct and experiences with each person, and your own radar to assess if you can trust someone with your deepest insecurities, information, and vulnerability. Trust is earned over time. I usually gauge trust in steps when I bring someone into my inner network. I start out dialoguing about issues and topics that don’t require much trust, and build trust as the intensity and reciprocation increases with each person. If your trust is violated, you must immediately move on from that relationship. Your inner network is sacred ground.

No Judgements: You should include mentors, advisors, guru's and sometimes just someone who is a great listener in your inner network. Make sure you choose people who have no agenda - i.e., they want nothing in return, they can take whatever you throw at them, and they won't judge you for the way you think, believe or thoughts they do not agree with. These are the most highly valued people in your network - those who only want the best for you, your family, and your current and future professional development.

In summary, be very discerning with who you let into your inner network. You should also work hard to develop one if you feel after reading this that you do not have one, or do not have a strong enough one. As someone who has benefited from some exceptional mentors, teachers, and friends who are in my network, I can tell you I would have not achieved half of what I did without them.