Your Network is Your Lifeline

Networking is more than building a LinkedIn connection list.

They say being at the top is lonely, that’s not true. I never felt lonely; I had plenty of friends. What I didn’t have, at least at work, is people who understood my role. The higher you go, the smaller your circle gets, and the fewer people you have that understand. By the time you’re in charge, you don’t really have peers inside the company anymore. You’re the person everyone talks about, not the one they confide in.

That’s why your network matters. And let me be clear—I’m not talking about “networking.” I’ve never been to one of those awkward mixers where everyone trades cards and pretends they’ll follow up, and I don’t plan to. If that’s your thing, great… but it’s not mine. I’m talking about the people you collect along the way in your career. The ones you actually want to stay in touch with. The ones who will tell you the truth even when you don’t want to hear it, who don’t have an agenda, and who actually understand what you’re dealing with because they’ve been there too.

I’ve been lucky. I’ve worked in big, mid-sized, and small companies, and while each one taught me something different, the real value was the people I met. Colleagues who grew into senior roles. Friends who made the jump to President and CEO. Others who stayed specialists but became the people I call when I need a reality check in their area of expertise.

And I’ve stayed connected. I still talk to people from my very first sales training group. Out of seven of us, three ended up as Presidents. Not because we were some kind of prodigy class—it just worked out that way. Which proves the point: you never know who’s going to rise with you.

This network has saved me more than once. Sometimes it’s advice, sometimes it’s perspective, sometimes it’s just someone saying, “Yeah, that really does suck.” And I return the favor when they need it.

Here’s what I will tell you: if you think you’re going to “start networking” once you’re in charge, you’ve already missed the boat. Start as early as you can with people you know. Don’t go “shopping” for high-level people you have nothing in common with, you don’t add value to their network. Build it as you go, keep it primarily at your level and one level up and one below.

Lastly, keep in touch. Put in the effort. As you grow, many in your network will also be growing. And finally, use your network, because when things get tough—and they will—you’ll want people you can call who won’t try to sell you something, won’t sugarcoat it, and definitely won’t blow smoke up your ass. They’ll just tell you the truth.