I recently read Jon Acuff’s Start. His book is a manifesto on movement. An accelerator for action. With a simple premise he calls to action the legions of us that spend years sleepwalking. That idea is this: “don’t wait. Start now.” The book was fine. But one day one particular quote stood out as I read it.
The … secret about purpose is that it usually finds you. Purpose is attracted to motion. Purpose is attracted to momentum. Purpose loves to surprise you mid-stride. Very rarely will it greet you on your front doorstep. More often than not, you’ll encounter purpose in the middle of the road when you least expect it.
Acuff was talking about the purpose that drives many to succeed at what they do. And the lack of purpose that leaves many of us muddling through the work at hand. Acuff is saying that publicly riding your dreams into glory will be seen, recognized, and appreciated by those in your network. I came to a similar conclusion as Acuff. Not just that your networks would recognize your efforts and respond with opportunity. But that networks are often the reason for success. Indeed, I have noticed a common trait in highly successful people: they are highly networked.
Examples from my life of highly networked and highly successful people abound. My friend Wendy that offered to help me create a speaking tour by introducing me to half a dozen professional groups in her city. A visiting speaker and entrepreneur that facilitated projects of data and art in many cities throughout the world. And every CEO I have ever met.
Did the success create the network? Or did the network create the success? Both can happen. And they mutually reinforce each other. But the if end goal is high success, the logical steps of building a network, leveraging it for opportunities, and then charging towards success are logical. It is less logical and predictable to start with the step, “be successful” to develop a network that later reinforces success.
I therefore conclude that one must start with the network. But which ones? First, I must choose networks that I can contribute to usefully. To sustain membership in a network I must offer as many opportunities as those offered to me. This means that I must have as much relevance to the networks I join as they do to me. In my case, this likely means I should be pursuing language groups, IT networks, professional networks.
For me the challenge is to find the time to commit to new groups. This has never been easy or come naturally. I have never been a natural networker. But I have worked with some. But the glowing power of a network starts with the spark of a new connection. And those sparks can power a network that powers success.