If we buy the fact that everyone is indispensable, it means we have access to the ultimate scarcity:
You.
If there’s no one else like you, if you’re one of a kind, if there’s nobody else on the planet who can do what you can exactly the way you can do it — and if you can identify what that “thing” is — you can learn to leverage that scarcity to create demand.
This the heart of personal branding at its most powerful.
It’s also what “having a career” is all about in the new economy.
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I had to write something about this, because it’s just so damn rare.
The other day I disagreed with my invisible mentor, Seth Godin.
In one of his posts, he said:
Tom Robbins, ranting in the Times, conflates the difficulty of making a living with the challenge of doing the writing:
“What’s next…kiddie architects, juvenile dentists, 11-year-old rocket scientists? Any parent who thinks that the crafting of engrossing, meaningful, publishable fiction requires less talent and experience than designing a house, extracting a wisdom tooth, or supervising a lunar probe is, frankly, delusional.”
Really?
This is nonsense on two levels. First, writing fiction is significantly easier than leading part of the Apollo mission (can we accept that as a given?). Second, and more important, it’s free! No gums are damaged, no thumbs are hammered, no shuttles are launched.
I realize what I’m going to talk about wasn’t the point of Seth’s article, but he’s off-base on something pretty important here — namely, his first point of “nonsense.” Tom didn’t say “writing fiction is significantly easier than leading part of the Apollo mission.” He specifically contrasted “the crafting of engrossing, meaningful, publishable fiction” (emphasis mine) with “supervising a lunar probe.”
These are completely different things.
I make this distinction in workshops all the time. If we’re talking about just doing something, people can do almost anything they put their mind to. The power of will is amazing.
But, if we’re talking about doing something well… well, that’s another story.
We can’t do everything well. Period. If by some miracle I could get drafted into the NFL, I might be able to be a linebacker. That doesn’t mean I can ever, EVER do it well. (If you’ve seen me, you know this is quite true.) I’m simply not built for it. Likewise, we may never be able to rap like Eminem or play basketball like LeBron James or sing like Mariah Carey. That doesn’t mean we can’t do other things with the same amount of mastery.
The talents it takes to write well and the talents required to successfully manage a lunar landing are completely and utterly different. This is why blanket statements about difficulty are dangerous — what’s hard for me might be really easy for you.
Writing great fiction isn’t any more or less difficult than running a successful moon mission.
It all depends on who’s doing it.
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It’s safe to say I hate networking.
(I can admit that, right?)
The mediocre speakers, the waiting in line with a bunch of strangers to get an ugly laminated nametag, the surprise “sell” at the end, the crummy food, the awkward standing around wondering what everyone else is thinking, the forced mingling…
Just writing about it makes me scrunch up my face in disgust (which ain’t pretty, I assure you).
But here’s the cold, hard, ugly truth of the world:
We’re only as successful as the people we know.
Maybe you knew that. You probably did. But I didn’t — at least, not until about five years ago.
That was the first thing I had to learn: The opportunities a person receives are generally (not always, but most times) commensurate with the quality of their network. I am as idealistic as they come, but in this area I’ve grown relentlessly pragmatic. Stuff just doesn’t happen if you don’t know people. It’s the way it is.
So then, the conundrum.
Armed with my new recongnition about the importance of an always-improving network, how does a person like me go about meeting new people… without networking?
And that’s the second thing I learned: You don’t have to “network” to grow your network.
Essentially, in order to network I have learned to leverage my own strengths: those things which energize me. (Some call this “practicing what you preach.”) I am energized by small, intimate groups where I can dialogue in a mostly one-on-one atmosphere. Once I realized this, I just had to adapt my networking methods to match it.
I would suggest that your successful networking strategy (whatever it is) will grow out of your own strengths (whatever they are).
If you, too, hate “networking,” here are a few thoughts:
For me, the secret to networking without “networking” was all about going for quality. I hate “events” with the passion of an angry feline (yikes), but here’s the part I’ve left out so far — I love connecting with people, hearing their stories, helping them accomplish new things, and building relationships. I just needed to find a way outside of the typical “networking” model in which to do that.
Use your strengths as a guide, and I know you’ll find your way, too.
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JOSH ALLAN DYKSTRA
Creating a world where everyone can #lovework.