I learned that real networking was about finding ways to make other people more successful. It was about working hard to give more than you get.

the currency of real networking is not greed but generosity.

Learn from others and create networks.

Sometimes, idealistic people are put off the whole business of networking as something tainted by flattery and the pursuit of selfish advantage. But virtue in obscurity is rewarded only in heaven. To succeed in this world, you have to be known to people.

The most effective networking strategy I've found has nothing to do with conferences, cocktail hours, cold emails, or any of the common ideas you hear.

1) Do interesting things.
2) Share them publicly.

Repeat those two strategies and you'll become a magnet. Like-minded people will come to you.

In professional networks that acted as fertile soil for successful groups, individuals moved easily among teams, crossing organizational and disciplinary boundaries and finding new collaborators. Networks that spawned unsuccessful teams, conversely, were broken into small, isolated clusters in which the same people collaborated over and over. Efficient and comfortable, perhaps, but apparently not a creative engine.

Sticking to the people we know is a tempting behavior. But unlike some forms of dating. A networker isn't looking to achieve only a single successful union. Creating an enriching circle of trusted relationships requires one to be out there, in the mix, all the time.

My advice is to stop trying to ‘network’ in the traditional business sense and instead just try to build up the number and depth of your friendships, where friendship itself is a reward

Networking is like fishing. Just give some beer and a boat and I’ll be in business.

A second learning I’ve had has been the power of networking. There is a lot of good will out there; people with ideas, experience, connections, and solutions. These are the same people ready to listen and be inspired by one’s ideas and actions as well.

"My advice is to stop trying to "network" in the traditional business sense, and instead just try to build up the number and depth of your friendships, where the friendship itself is its own reward. The more diverse your set of friendships are, the more likely you'll derive both personal and business benefits from your friendship later down the road. You won't know exactly what those benefits will be, but if your friendships are genuine, those benefits will magically appear 2-3 years later down the road."

A network functions precisely because there’s recognition of mutual need. There’s an implicit understanding that investing time and energy in building personal relationships with the right people will pay dividends. The majority of “one percenters” are in that top stratum because they understand this dynamic — because, in fact, they themselves used the power of their network of contacts and friends to arrive at their present station.

Figure out how to get into the networks because they are what amplifies your learnings, give you access to opportunity, information and Intelligence to know what to do.

#Networking is people looking for people looking for people. As for me, I’m more of a birdwatcher.