Connecting Is Not Enough - The Networking Radio Show

Lookng at the professional relationships that impacted his career,  Dan explains that arriving in the UK from Australia knowing nobody, he owes everything to the connections he made initially through Thomas and Penny Powers and their Ecademy community. Later it was Adams Street Members Club where he met his wife among others. For Dan professional and personal relationships merged in a community of mutual support. For Mindy, it started with breakfast meetings but she wanted something more organic, like Ecademy, where there was authenticity, vulnerability and mutual support. Negative experiences mainly involved a mismatch of values and outcomes.

Andy Lopata talks to Daniel Priestley, publisher and author of four best-selling books including 'Key Person of Influence' and Mindy Gibbins-Klein, publisher and author of '24 Carat BOLD'. How important is thought leadership when you have a business to run? It is having the courage to share exciting new ideas and be recognised by peers and the market. Dan sees this as being a KPI, a key person of influence. Social media has broken the geographical barriers limiting the spread of ideas. It is important to get your ideas out there but on things you are confident about, can add value and make a difference. Dan sees writing as an important method of organising your thinking, organising your ideas in a thoughtful way. There can be a data overload and discipline is needed to unfollow, unsubscribe and unlisten.

Dr Lynda Shaw tells Andy Lopata about the two inspirational teachers who impacted her career. The first, the Biology teacher in school who through using stories of the body set her on the path of a love of science. The professor who mentored her during her PHD studies. They cared enough to give Lynda their time, focus and passion which helped to map out her career. She believes that where relationships fail it is usually caused by misunderstanding intentions, poor communications and assumptions made. Lynda shares three books which have inspired her.

Andy Lopata's guest this week is Dr Lynda Shaw, a cognitive neuroscientist. Andy was particularly interested in how neuroscience helps us to understand our relationships with other people and manage them more effectively. Lynda emphasised that we can never know how someone else feels and that empathy is very important in building relationships. Leaders need to understand the impact of their decisions on other people and theirs on us. Our brains are about networks that influence our decisions. Those networks are affected by our feelings and what is going on around us. Andy and Lynda also discuss why we have chemistry with some and not others and how at work, leaders have to control their behaviour to be fair. Unconscious bias is normal but not acceptable. Neuroscience helps to understand people; understand what motivates people and how to build relationships.

Andy Lopata and Beam Maue follow up their earlier conversation about the formation of the innovation mission AFWERX, by looking at the professional relationships both positive and negative, that impacted the experiment. The US Airforce General who gave him the opportunity to lead the mission and a leader and role model who had vision and belief in him. They gave him the support to overcome obstacles and resistance from a military bureaucracy. Beam and his team did initially encounter negativity from people who did not fully understand what he was trying to achieve, but by connecting with people the situation did improve. Beam shares the books that have influenced him during his career.

Dr Beam Maue is the co-founder of AFWERX, an innovation mission within the US Airforce. He and his team have created an innovative and forward thinking community within a military hierarchy. AFWERX now collaborates with hundreds of innovation tech groups and small businesses. Andy and Beam discuss the ideas of democracy versus dictatorships that are the basis of the mission, overcoming problems of bureaucracy and red tape, and the importance of teams and relationships. The mission was exteremely successful based on centralised leadership and decentralised action.

Following his discussion about conflict with two former police officers, Laura Ash and Kul Muhay, Andy Lopata asks more personal questions about the professional relationships that impacted their careers. Kul, a natural introvert found he has a tendency to develop deep relationships based on a values first perspective. He has a small connected world. For Laura relationships are the core of business and level three listening is paramount in developing those connections. She believes that people who are judgemental cannot form good relationships.  Kul found that any kind of relationship will fail when there is a lack of trust, communication or understanding. A list of their favourite books and resources are in the show notes.

In an inspiring discussion with guests Laura Ash and Kul Muhay, Andy Lopata looks at the role of strong relationships in managing conflict situations. Laura Ash is a former police and counter terrorism officer turned health and well-being coach. Kul served for many years in the UK police service. He is a leadership and emotional intelligence specialist, who has spoken widely across private and public sectors on developing emotionally-intelligent leaders and cultures. Emotional intelligence is about understanding the social context or environment you're in and then building relationships. This is so important in diffusing conflict situations. Andy, Laura and Kul talk about trust, leadership, police response and gathering intelligence. They also examine inclusion, culture and conflict within the police force.    

In the last regular podcast with Ruth Gotian, Andy Lopata and Ruth talk about the levels of trust that enable you to open up your network to other people. The 'Gotiansphere' is Andy's description of a world created by Ruth where her networks in New York and London overlap with many becoming close friends who she knows, likes and trusts. These three steps in a relationship are discussed in detail. Ruth and Andy look at the ideas of associated trust, intuition and vulnerable leadership as well as the value of masterminding. Covid has made us comfortable with forming virtual relationships. But, networks also have to be protected and you  share your network when it is appropriate.

In this discussion about the impact of professional relationships on his career, Mark Herschberg is certain that all the relationships he has had have influenced him in some way. Different relationships both positive and negative helped form the people skills critical in management. For Mark, ethics really matter and he did come across unethical managers. He recognised that there may be no right or wrong but there is a line that must not be crossed. Private communities are safer places where there is a high degree of trust. He shares some of the many books that he recommends.

Andy Lopata's guest on this week's Connected Leadership Podcast is Mark Herschberg the author of The Career Toolkit.  Mark has had a varied career from cyber security to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems and teaching at MIT. In this podcast Andy and Mark take a practical view of how relationships play a key role in a successful career, including both internal relationships in an organisation and widening your network with a diverse external network. Internal professional relationships open up access to information and differing perspectives. Career growth and promotion prospects are linked to how you sell yourself. With external relationships, diversity is important to add value to your network.

From a traditional Scots background and strongly influenced by his father's expectations, Neil Wilkie talks about the relationships that impacted his career. Successful but unhappy, Neil eventually gave up his business where he had never felt comfortable with the ultimate goal of profit. He moved to Vistage acting as a mentor in mastermind groups. For the first time he felt equal in the community of Vistage Chairs, the collegiate nature of the groups which emphasised a shared purpose, openness and support. The desire for approval from his father and other family problems were the negative relationships that affected his career. Neil shares some resources that he particularly recommends.

Andy Lopata's guest on this week's Connected Leadership Podcast is Neil Wilkie, author, coach and psychotherapist. Andy and Neil discuss how the way you engage with both personal and professional relationships impacts the success you enjoy in your career. Neil left a thriving business because it made him unhappy, he wanted to focus on relationships and help successful but unhappy businessmen. He developed a Relationship Paradigm for personal relationships and the discussion looks at how it impacts people in their work and how the paradigm also relates to professional relationships.    

Andy Lopata discusses the positive and negative aspects of professional relationships during their careers with Jon Baker and Jenn Kahnweiler. For Jon, an introvert, he was most influenced by extroverts who were people oriented, while he found introverts more task focused. He recalled poor leaders who didn't recognise different personalities and wrongly denigrated those who didn't match their perspective. Jenn had both good and bad managers in the early stages of her career, but there were also fantastic mentors/bosses and others she wanted to emulate. Her negative experiences came from not taking the time to assess personality traits and trying to impose her own ideas. Jon and Jenn share their favourite resources.

'It's useful to have the introvert/extrovert spectrum as a guide, as a way of understanding people are different, behave differently in different circumstances by what energises them. Use it as a guide but still focus on the individual.' Andy Lopata hosts an interesting discussion with Jennifer Kahnweiler from New York and Jon Baker, introvert. They discuss the differences in building relationships, networking, working in teams and understanding people who may be a different personality type. Was lockdown a positive experience for introverts or do they still need the personal connections that come with working in an office or meeting and connecting with new people?  Andy, Jenn and Jon discuss how most people have elements of both personalities and how that can be used constructively.

Andy Lopata welcomes back Connected Leadership Podcast regular contributor Luca Signoretti and they talk about the need for change and re-visiting where you are in your career and your goals. The pandemic has brought a time of change. Companies are re-structuring and there is a rise in redundancies. Andy and Luca discuss the problems of moving to new areas of business and how good research and a diverse network can help. The value of feedback and a trusted mentor help to negotiate an unfamiliar path.

Zena Everett's entire career is based on professional relationships and she discusses with Andy Lopata how important this has been. All opportunities have come from her network and she includes the pivotal effect of feedback from trusted sources, however tough. Relationships could go wrong when she was too opinionated, giving unwanted advice. Zena learned that sometimes people just want someone to listen. She shares some of her favourite books.

Andy lopata's guest this week is Zena Everett, a leadership coach and speaker on career strategy and productivity. She is the author of Amazon #1 best-seller 'The Crazy Busy Cure'. Andy and Zena discuss the challenge most clients share of a lack of time to focus on relationship building, particularly true in professional services where people are often judged on billable hours. How do we strike the right balance and find the time? The importance of building relationships outside the business to stay in touch with changes. Time management involves setting priorities, planning, discipline and includes deep work sessions and good leadership. They conclude by looking at how we adapt to a post pandemic world with new technology and new, flexible ways of working.