The Power of Your Networks

The Power of Your Networks

“How did you go about securing the speakers?” asked one of the attendees.

“The leadership team tapped into their networks,” I responded.

The event the attendee was referring to is the Women in Leadership event that Ellevate Toronto planned.  Five successful women talked about their career journey and Harold Brown moderated the event. This panel event was the second in the annual leadership series. The goal of these events is to learn from the experiences of senior level women. This year’s event, “Women in Leadership: Journeys to C-Suite,” featured:

• Fiona Crean, Ombudsman Toronto
• Andrea Cohen Barrack, CEO of the Ontario Trillium Foundation
• Dr. Doris Grinspun, CEO, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario
• Jacoline Loewen, Director, UBS Wealth Management
• Kim Cohen, CEO, Brown & Cohen Communications & Public Affairs Inc.

Going back in time, to when I was attending the University of Calgary, I did not know that it was important to network. I did not attend events on campus and I did not join any clubs. Before I went to university, I had worked for a couple of years, so I was a few years older than the other students, and it was difficult to get into groups that consisted of students who had known each other for years, because they had gone to the same high school. As an introvert, I didn’t know how to fit in. But a few years into my program, I met some students who were in my age group, so that made the experience a lot better for me. I am still in touch with some of them.

When I arrived in Toronto a few years later, where I knew no one, I attended lots of networking events, but I found them very uncomfortable because either some people wouldn’t give me the time of day because they might have thought I wasn’t important enough, while others were just pushing their business cards. For several years, I would not attend any networking events because I was so turned off. When I started attending events, I discovered that when you join associations and get active by volunteering, you get to meet some amazing people, and you start to form meaningful relationships. Sitting on non-profit boards enabled me to meet new people as well.

These kinds of meaningful relationships enabled the members of the Ellevate Network Toronto leadership team to secure such high caliber speakers at our Women in Leadership event. Do not make the mistakes that I made, start building your networks early, even if you are a student. Networking is not about handing out as many business cards that you can, it is about finding common ground between you and another person, then building on that. Not everyone you meet, you will want to form a deeper relationship with, and that’s okay.

You will understand and value the power of your networks when you find yourself in certain situations, therefore, it is important to treat the members of your network with the utmost respect. One of the other lessons that I have learned, is that it is important to find ways to introduce the people in your network to each other, so they can continue to build theirs. At the Women in Leadership event, the speakers were networking with each other, as well as with attendees.

Fiona Crean, Andrea Cohen Barrack, Dr. Doris Grinspun, Jacoline Loewen, and Kim Cohen captivated the audience as they shared their journeys to the top of their fields. And what made the evening so special, was the similarities and differences in their stories, and the passion they have for the roles they play in work and life.

To make the event even more meaningful than it already was, Sylvia Makk, an artist based in Hawaii, created miniature artwork for each speaker and the moderator.

Big Breaks

• Andrea Cohen Barrack had a series of little breaks that added up. She did unconventional things, and made a lot of sacrifices to get to where she is today. She recommends that you shouldn’t be limiting – be flexible.
• Kim Cohen got lots of little breaks. When you are growing a business, everything is a building block. It is important to do the hard work.
• The Fiona Crean’s big break came when she was fired. Additionally, she had someone who believed in her. At the time, Roberta Jamieson, the Ombudsman of Ontario, brought Fiona into the organization. Fiona took risks and learned from her mistakes.
• Jacoline Loewen’s big break came from writing her first book. She recommends that you think big and do crazy moves.
• Doris Grinspun knows who she is and what she wants out of life, so she didn’t think about breaking the glass ceiling. She wants to make the world better. Doris recommends that you choose who you want to be, speak truth to power, be courageous, be bold, and live your values. She also acknowledged that many women opened doors for her.

Characteristics Every Leader Should Possess

• Doris Grinspun says that you have to have a “Can do” attitude, and shyness can derail your career.
• Jacoline Loewen says that leaders need to be humble, rely on their team, step back and allow them to shine. She added that not thinking big enough and having no vision can definitely derail your career.
• Known to take big risks, Fiona Crean acknowledges that leaders must have a big vision, be able to translate the vision so others can see it. You also have to know when to follow, and operate within your values. The thing that often derails leaders is showing emotions in the workplace.
• Kim Cohen believes that you have to be persistent and not take “no” for an answer. People give up too easily and you have to remember to keep your ego in check.
• Andrea Cohen Barrack believes that trustworthiness is an important characteristic that every leader should have, and up-talk will derail your career because it makes you sound like you are asking for permission.

Other Important Advice

• Women can have it all, but they can’t have it all at the same time.
• You cannot do everything at once, you have to prioritize, and you need the support of your team.
• Know who you are because having it all means different things to different people.
• Throughout your life, always make space for the important things.
• Your family is your team.
• Your partner’s values have to be compatible with yours.
• Don’t take the first no, because the person may have the wrong impression of you.
• Find a mentor.
• Take the courage pill.
• When you are having self-doubts about your capabilities at work, learn all you need to know about the topic in question. This gives you confidence in your abilities.

Books that Influence

• Fiona Crean: Getting Past No by William Ury
• Andrea Cohen Barrack: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
• Dr. Doris Grinspun: Reads to be inspired and likes Martin Luther King Jr.
• Jacoline Loewen: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. She also likes Anthony Robbins.
• Kim Cohen: Good to Great by Jim Collins

Events such as “Women in Leadership” hosted by Ellevate Toronto are important because it’s critical for women to share their career stories, so that the younger generation can see what is possible. And when you attend events, take time to connect with others, so that you can start to build, or build a more powerful network.

Get Started Here – I want to help you get started on your learning journey. Read The Invisible Mentor 2015 Reading Challenge, then Join the Facebook Group for the Reading Challenge today, connecting the ideas from the books you read!

In the meantime, THANK YOU for your time… Thank you for sharing this post, and thank you for connecting with me on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest! What was your biggest takeaway from today?

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