Page 119 - Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton

LEADERSHIP SECRETS OF HILLARY CLINTON

will be a “stretch” for you—someone who is a little out of
your comfort zone. And, try to put another person on the
list who can give you a totally different perspective. Finally,
be sure to be clear about whether you are asking for help or
making a suggestion for how the two of you can engage
with each other. Do your homework and be prepared.
Once you are comfortable with this approach to build-
ing your network, I suggest that you begin to reach out to
people just because you think they are interesting and you
want to get to know them better. You can actually build
these new relationships proactively and unconditionally.
Get involved in outside activities, go to networking events,
attend conferences, and even consider serving on a commit-
tee for a cause that you care about. When you meet some-
one that you would like to get to know better, let her know
what you do and be very open about the fact that you would
like to better understand what she does so that the two of
you might be able to support each other in the future.
When you do this, you begin to develop a common rapport
and level of trust with that person, so that when you do ask
her for help, she will be more open to supporting you.

x SECRET 4: CREATE YOUR OWN z
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

When I speak on the topic of building strategic networks,
I always ask people if they have their own personal board

x 108 z