By Darcy Rezac
This article discusses a too-often-forgotten dimension of engaged leadership, connectorship. Connectorship is the capacity, or capability, to connect with others. Leaders who also develop their capacity to connect create a powerful asset for success in business and life. Like a wind vector on a weather chart which is defined by magnitude and direction, this capability be described as a vector, the connector vector. Together with the capacity to lead and a sound personal network, connectorship is a fundamental determinant of our potential to succeed in business and life as an engaged leader.
Here, we define engaged leadership as not only bonding with our team and close contacts in our silos, but it also includes bridging to other silos, not only in business, but also to the community beyond as well.
Our engaged leadership model, the engaged leadership matrix was developed in collaboration with UBC Sauder School dean, Daniel F. Muzyka and UVic Business dean, Ali Dastmalchian. The matrix has three fundamental dimensions, our personal network and our our twin capabilities to lead and connect or our connector vector.
What does your network look like? How good a leader are you? What is your connector vector?
To build a network for business and life, we have to connect. Connectorship is joined at the hip with leadership. The combined capacities to connect and lead can create value beyond the mere addition of these capabilities; the combination creates a powerful multiplier to build a network.
Libraries and bookstores are filled to the rafters with books on leadership, not so with connectorship. Which is why Gayle Hallgren-Rezac, Judy Thomson and I wrote Work the Pond! (Prentice Hall, 2005). It was dubbed the "Connector's Handbook," by Town and Country Magazine (July 2006), and it is. It is a handbook on networking done right, which we trademarked, positive networking. It is predicated on the notion that interactions with others are generally more authentic, long lasting and meaningful if the focus on others rather than ourselves. We describe as, "discovering what we can do for someone else." Guy Kawasaki, author of the Art of the Start, calls this the 'world's best definition' of networking. It is how the best connections in life and work are made. It is how the best networks are built and maintained.
Work the Pond! has been translated into Russian, Korean, and Chinese and published in Canada and the US as well. Gayle, Judy and I have given over 300 presentations and training courses in Europe, Asia and North America (Canada, US and Mexico). We continue to be amazed at how well received the discipline is, and how great the need is. While we didn't use the term 'connectorship' in the book, our experience over the last five years has reinforced its incredible power, especially when combined with leadership.
Management training has traditionally focussed only on leadership, and ignored its twin sibling, connectorship. Those leaders that have and use both skills make things happen that make the world better for others, as well as themselves. This is the principle of 'generalized reciprocity' which creates social capital for bystanders as well as participants (Prof Robert Putnam: Bowling Alone Simon and Schuster, 2000). Those who limit their skill development to leadership alone fail to effectively connect outside their own close circle, or silo. Their focus is 'mutual reciprocity.' Generalized reciprocity includes this, but goes further. The product of leaders connecting effectively within their silo but also bridging across other silos, is individual, enterprise and community well-being (Putnam, UBC's John Helliwell and others, call this social capital.) In fact, Putnam cites research in Bowling Alone (p.331) that demonstrates that those who regularly connect with others actually live longer!
When people connect for the purpose of contributing to the greater good, and not only for their own self-interest, value is created for the community as well. The Vancouver Board of Trade, a business association in Canada, has trademarked the tag line, ...connecting for good. It is what they do. The Board engages people in business in the issues of the day to impact public policy to make things better for business, and in so doing, value is added to the greater community as well. A fast lane at the border called Nexus for prescreened "trusted travellers," privatization of Vancouver Airport-YVR (which among other successes has included a 99 year contract to manage Chicago's Midway Airport), crime reduction and rapid transit are all initiatives all benefit others as well as business.
Connectorship is about social skills. Daniel Goleman, who was hosted at a Vancouver Board of Trade leadership seminar last year, has two great books on the subject, Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence. Our book on positive networking tells us the "how to's" of putting these skills into practice in order to build a network for business and life. Positive networking skills--connectorship--can be learned.
Malcolm Gladwell in his best seller, Tipping Point has a great chapter on connectors. He tells the story of Paul Revere mobilizing the militia on his famous ride to Lexington and Concord, with his refrain, "The redcoats are coming!" A little known fact is another Boston leader, William Dawes, was dispatched with the same refrain on a parallel route, but nobody responded. The difference? Revere, according to Gladwell, was a connector, Dawes wasn't.
Truly engaged leadership has three active bedrock dimensions, leadership skills, connectorship skills and a good network that has breadth, depth and reach--a powerful potion for success. This is the Engaged Leadership Matrix model, which I developed in collaboration with UBC Sauder School of Business Dean, Daniel F. Muzyka and UVic Business Dean, Ali Dastmalchian. (See related articles on The Power of Positive Engagement and Leadership + Networking = Social Capital at Board Business Review Online. Most leaders understand the importance of a network, but not all acquire the social skills to maximize its value to both themselves and others, beyond their own small circle.
Engaged leaders with a good network that extends to the community discover the power of connecting beyond their own silos. These are leaders who make a real difference to the world. Some of the famous leaders, Churchill, Ben Franklin, Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Margaret Thatcher, Oprah Winfrey, Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Barak Obama are examples of those who have done it. These are more than traditional leaders in their own field, they also bridge and connect to the world beyond. They are connector vectors in their own right, just like Paul Revere was. Their leadership skills were multiplied by their capacity to connect effectively with others. They make their own weather. Their purpose has direction and magnitude, engaged leaders make a difference, for the greater good.
But, we don't have to be famous to succeed as an engaged leader, any one of us can do it. With training, practice, knowledge and the right attitude we can do it too. It is a learned skill-set. We can make a difference to ourselves and others too. We too can develop our leadership skills, our capacity to connect and build a good network. 19th Century philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville called it, "Self interest, rightly understood." At The Vancouver Board of Trade it is called connecting for good. Try it, you'll like it. And, live longer too. __________________________________________________
