A Strong Network Is Insufficient

Last week’s post, ‘See Through the Fog’, created a varied number of responses with some people observing, “It is difficult to determine what one is really good at, as we can’t be objective about ourselves.” Another valid observation was that the same advice given by a different person might well not be as effective.

This made me think deeper – whom should we seek advice from? What advice do we take on board and what do we dismiss?

Even for a news-avoider like me, by all accounts, we are heading into one of the most significant economic headwinds in decades. The truth is that the tectonic plates of how business is conducted and what job you have has shifted, and will continue to do so. This time of year can be even more stressful - calibration and review season. ?

I recall vividly the feeling of dread when working for a large company. It felt like being a pawn on a chessboard as leaders jockeyed for position to run the best businesses in the forthcoming year. ?

I was surprised if any real work with customers was actually conducted during this time. I know it was draining and energy-sapping, and I am sure contributed to me being ill at various points, with uncertainty rising, power play in overdrive, and winning at all costs being the order of the day. I am certain many of you can relate to this scenario.?

Today, I do not have this in my life or my career. I have a sense of relaxed alertness; ?the ideal performance zone. My energy is entirely customer-focused on anticipating and partnering to solve their largest business and career challenges, as well as improving my ability and mindset. Being human and always looking for a problem, I started to wonder if I enjoy winning less as I get older and even less competitive. ?

Seeking to answer this question, I started reading a very valuable book that offers an alternative perspective to the direct route to achieving one’s goals – Obliquity: why our goals are best achieved indirectly by John Kay. He quotes former cricketer and Chief England selector Ed Smith:?

“I am not saying that personal development is more important than winning; on the contrary, I am saying that enjoying the journey of self-discovery, by removing the angst associated with winning at all costs, is one way of helping you to win more often.”?

Those three words: “… removing the angst …” are directionally so valuable for navigating your place of work on your terms. ?

The commitment to improve incrementally is the cornerstone of my executive coaching practice. I regularly pose this question to my clients: ?6 months after we first set out,?we reflect back, and I ask, “What do you wish you had stopped, started, and continued doing?”?

We often stray into only looking at the next new thing to get better at, yet miss the continuing phase of realising that many of the things we are good at still work. Stopping and saying ‘no’ is, I believe, one of the most powerful weapons we have. We all have a limited resource of energy and time where we add a filter to agreed projects and commitment matters. ?My personal commitment in 2023 is to be bolder - to fully embrace possibilities, before tackling the challenges.

Many British people give self-help and coaching a bad rap. However, if you are not helping yourself to get better and stay relevant, then who is doing that for you? The government? Your employer? Your professional body??

Whilst travelling in the car to a hockey match with my son, he said “There is a limit to how useful personal networks are.” I asked him to explain further. He picked up that a famous Silicon Valley founder has said that he had such a breadth and depth to his network and so many people wanted to work for him that it was inefficient. ?

My response was to ask him to consider firstly this is a first-rate problem to have. Secondly that this particular individual was part of one of the most successful networks ever created - the so-called “PayPal mafia”. Many of these individuals have gone on to found some of the most successful businesses around the globe and leveraged that network for funding, idea-testing and advice, to accelerate growth at warp speed.?

However, for me, investing in a network of trusted partners whom you have added significant value to, and whom you can call on when you need help, is to achieve indirectly – a far more efficient and pleasant way to do business. It’s at the very heart of:

accessing the hidden job market

the hidden business opportunity market

the hidden funding market…?

Recently, I had the huge honour to have a fireside chat with Todd Latham , CEO at Divido. Divido is on a mission to positively transform checkout finance - the most agile platform to easily launch one’s own white-labelled checkout finance solutions. There were many takeaways, but these were my personal standouts: ?

1)????To stand out in your career, think like a marketeer; what's your value proposition and what's your North Star? Where are you heading?

2)????Value trust and curiosity - building trust with customers, building trust with your leaders, and your leadership team building trust with your employees. It leads to a sort of glue that enables candid conversations to occur.

3)????Trust your path – embrace the uncomfortable by moving between different environments.

4)????Be known for something - people say that Todd is a starter/completer who gets stuff done.

See the full interview below:

My challenge to you this week as we prepare for 2023, is what is the one thing you could stop, start, and continue, to enhance your energy levels and to remain relevant?

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.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have a leadership challenge and want to work with a trusted partner, to [email protected]