Leadership Toolbox: Networking & Relationship Building

This document discusses the importance of networking and relationship building for leadership. It provides tips for making people feel important such as paying attention, listening, using positive language, putting praise in writing, keeping commitments, and giving credit to others. Strong leadership requires developing relationships to inspire followers to achieve more than they imagined. Maintaining relationships over time through networking, preparing for meetings, having a positive attitude and making small talk are important aspects of leadership.

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Leadership Toolbox: Networking & Relationship Building

Uploaded by

Lê Văn Phúc

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Leadership Toolbox

www.mnsu.edu/toolbox
Centennial Student Union 173
(507) 389-6076

Networking & Relationship Building

One of the key leadership traits is to be able to inspire followership. A leader may be able to provide shared vision and
supervision; however leaders must develop a relationship with the people they inspire to follow them. Successful
leadership relationship inspires people to become more than they imagined they could be and achieve more than they
ever thought they could.

Make people feel important: What to keep in mind

1. Pay attention to people using common courtesy: Greet people. Building relationship with individuals is not a
Say “Good morning” and ask how they are doing. one-time process. It takes time to build good
relationship with individuals and to maintain it.
2. Listen to what your coworkers, peers and staff members have Networking is a way to start building a healthy
to say: Do not use or phone, text, or look around when you are relationship with individuals.
communicating with any individual in front of you. Make sure you
are physically as well as mentally present. Following are few things you could keep in
mind while networking during meetings and
3. Use powerful, positive language in your interaction with others: events:
Saying “thank you” and “sorry” will take you a long way. Mean
what you say when you want to positively recognize someone. • Prepare for every meeting and event
• Adopt and practice positive attitude
4. Put praise in writing: Leave a “Thank you” note for individuals • Approach the person standing alone
who have helped you. Let individuals know that without their help • Smile or say hello to “break the ice”
the project would not have been successful. • Prepare a brief self-introduction
• Ask questions and identify common interests
5. Keep your commitments to staff: Only promise things you know • Make small talk
you can deliver to others. Not being able to deliver after promising • Commit to listen first and talk second
something simple decreases your credibility. • Have fun!

6. Give staff public credit for contributions: Do not take credit for Strong leadership does not negate the need
something others have done even if you were leading a project. for relationships or collaboration; it embraces
Open up ways for others to shine and share it with others if them. Leaders by themselves achieve very
something was your friend’s idea. Do not over exaggerate. little; the measure of effective leadership lies in
the results a leader achieves by inspiring
others. In organizations those results come by
working with people, either as individuals or as
teams. Networking and relationship building is
important as a leader, but maintaining a
relationship is equally important as well.
Leadership Toolbox
www.mnsu.edu/toolbox
Centennial Student Union 173
(507) 389-6076

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