Networking done right: the power of intentional connection
Networking done right: the power of intentional connection
5 minutes
Networking is the intentional act of building and maintaining relationships that create mutual value. It’s about connecting with others to exchange insights, learn from different perspectives, and open pathways for collaboration and growth – not collecting contacts or transactional favours.
For leaders, strategic networking is about intentionally cultivating relationships that expand your reach, contribute to your insight and influence.
It helps you access information, opportunities, and support that you can’t achieve alone. It strengthens your ability to influence, innovate, and make better decisions through diverse input and trusted relationships. In short, it’s how you stay connected to ideas, people, and possibilities that accelerate progress.
Many people find networking uncomfortable because it often feels transactional or self-serving. But when reframed as learning, curiosity and mutual value, it becomes one of the most powerful tools for growth and impact.
Research from Harvard Business Review (Ibarra & Hunter) shows that effective professionals intentionally build three kinds of networks:
- Operational – relationships that help you get work done day-to-day.
- Personal – trusted peers who offer feedback, learning and perspective.
- Strategic – people outside your usual circles who challenge your thinking and open new possibilities.
Each serves a different purpose, but together they form the ecosystem that supports progress for your career. Thoughtful planning helps you:
- Clarify your intent – know what you want to learn, contribute, or influence.
- Map your current connections – identify who supports or challenges your goals.
- Spot the gaps – target people who bring diverse experience or access.
- Prepare with purpose – research backgrounds and design questions that spark meaningful dialogue.
As Christie Hunter Arscott writes in A Better Approach to Networking (HBR, 2022), “The best networkers are great questioners.” When you approach conversations with curiosity and generosity rather than agenda, you build trust , the foundation of all influence.
Strategically planning how to network can help you:
- Identify your purpose in connecting with someone.
- Determine who may support you towards your goal in your current network
- Create a list of new people whom you can connect with
- Research about people’s backgrounds and expertise
- Plan questions to get the most out of your conversation
When you understand who to engage and why, every conversation can become targeted and impactful. Connections become meaningful. Recommendations – both from you and them -become intentional.
It’s also how you can be genuinely known by others. When other leaders understand your character, values and leadership strengths, they are more likely to collaborate and advocate for you.
During the COVID-19 crisis, studies of executives (HBR, 2020) found that those with strong, high-trust networks were more innovative and adaptable. Their relationships became channels for ideas, information and emotional support, accelerating collaboration and helping their teams navigate uncertainty.
Similarly, Harvard Business School Online notes that networking is one of the most reliable ways to anticipate change, access expertise and unlock opportunities that formal structures often miss.
Networking isn’t a side task – it’s a professional practice grounded in trust, learning and strategic intent. The more deliberate you are, the more meaningful and mutually beneficial your connections become.
Intentional plan to build your network with our Strategic Networking Planner.
