Creating value is networking

The way to attract good luck is to be reliable in a valuable area. The more you repeatedly deliver value, the more people seek you out for that value.

-James Clear

We’ve all heard the phrase, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Or, have been told that networking is the single most important part of your career.

I disagree. Networking is a symptom of an underlying cause. The root cause is delivering value.

What’s it mean to deliver value? It means you can be counted upon. It means taking responsibility for something and exceeding expectations.

How can you measure when you’ve created value? Someone relies on you a second time. And, a third time. And, then that someone tells another someone. And, another someone. Ad infinitum.

That’s networking.