ARE YOU NETWORKING THE RIGHT WAY?

Many of you may have read the Aesop Fable “The Ant and The Dove”, which I reproduce below.

// An Ant went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and being carried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of
drowning. A Dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked
a leaf and let it fall into the stream close to her. The Ant
climbed onto it and floated in safety to the bank. Shortly
afterwards a birdcatcher came and stood under the tree, and laid
his lime-twigs for the Dove, which sat in the branches. The Ant,
perceiving his design, stung him in the foot. In pain the
birdcatcher threw down the twigs, and the noise made the Dove
take wing.//

Networking is a critical #leadership competency, but many approach this the wrong way. To me, the fable above epitomises the right approach to #networking.

When the Dove saw the Ant drowning in the stream, it dropped a leaf that helped save the Ant’s life. The Dove did not do this thinking “What will the Ant give me in return?”. Or “how can the Ant be of use to me?”. The Dove went ahead and helped the Ant simply because it was in a position to help the Ant. This is the essence of #networking.

We cannot approach #networking (#linkedin included) with the mindset of “How can this person be of use to me?”. Rather, #leaders approach #networking with the mindset of “How can I be useful to others?”. Like the Dove.

Rest assured, if you have a mindset like this, the “Ants” that you saved (helped) along the way, someday will “save” (help) you, when you need it the most.