Ronald K. Bolender 1 Leadership: Social/Professional Networking and Mentorship Knox National...

Ronald K. Bolender1

Leadership: Social/Professional Networking and Mentorship

Knox National Management AssociationNovember 5, 2007Dr. Ronald Bolender

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Leadership is relational. To enhance the relational aspect of leadership, one must develop and maintain a meaningful social/professional network. One aspect of the network process is mentorship, a developmental relationship between professionals. This session will present the concept, components, and application of relationship building via social/professional networking and mentoring.

(Bolender, 2007)

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How to Build Your Network

Does serendipitous networking produce results?

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Mary Gates

John Akers

Bill Gates

And then there was…

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A Powerful System Networks deliver three unique advantages:

– Private Information– Access to diverse skill sets– Power

(Uzzi & Dunlap, 2005, p. 54)

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– Most personal networks are highly clustered—that is, an individual’s friends are likely to be friends with one another as well.

– Most organizational networks are made up of several clusters but with few links between them. Brokers are especially powerful because they connect separate clusters, thus stimulating collaboration and exploiting arbitrage among otherwise independent specialists.

(Uzzi & Dunlap, 2005, pp. 55-56)

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Two Common Issues Regarding Networks Self-similarity Principle

– The network is too inbred– You tend to choose people who resemble you in

terms of experience, training, worldview, etc. Proximity Principle

– Your network is populated by people who interact with you are on regular basis.

(Uzzi & Dunlap, 2005, pp. 56-57)

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Both of these principles hinder Both of these principles hinder the development of a diverse the development of a diverse

network.network.

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Forge Better Connections Shared Activities Principle

– The best way to break through the barriers created by the self-similarity and proximity principles is by using the shared activities principle.

– One can participate in and benefit from a variety of shared activities, including sports teams, community service ventures, interdepartmental initiatives, voluntary associations, for-profit boards, cross-functional teams, and charitable foundations.

(Uzzi & Dunlap, 2005, p. 58)



Here are the essential questions to ask yourself for making networking an effective relationship tool.

Do I have a 5-year networking plan? Do I have a list of the organizations where I can

benefit the most? Who are the most important people that I must

contact? How much time must I commit?

(Gitomer, 2006, p. 87)



Universal Truth of Connecting

The real rule of “give and take” is:

Before you can take, you gotta give.

(Gitomer, 2006, p. 159)



Providing valuevalue is a key to developing a rich, meaningful

network.



Providing value to someone is a whole new way of thinking.

It means give first rather than “ask for” first. It means helping others so that they will look

forward to helping you back. (Gitomer, 2006, p. 51)



Mentorship Mentoring is connected with

social/professional networking. While finding a mentor is a great network

developing strategy—becoming a mentor is an indirect means for expanding/deepening one’s network.



– Role, model– Guide– Supporter– Adviser– Trusted counselor– Leader

– Friend– Listener– Knowledgeable– Shares resources– Networker

Carruthers (1993, p. 20) lists the following qualities related to mentorship.



ReferencesBolender, R. K. (2007). Mount Vernon, OH: Unpublished. Carruthers, J. (1993). The principles and practice of mentoring. In

B. J. Caldwell & E. M. A. Carter (Eds.), The return of the mentor: Strategies for workplace learning (pp. 9-24). Washington, DC: The Falmer Press.

Gitomer, J. (2006). Little black book of connections: 6.5 assets for networking your way to rich relationships. Austin, TX: Bard Press.

Uzzi, B., & Dunlap, S. (2005, December). How to build your network. Harvard Business Review, 83(12), 53-60.

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