was listening to “The Square and the Tower”, subtitled “Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook” by Niall Ferguson. It argues that most organizations are hierarchical. “It’s about emperors, presidents, prime ministers, and field marshals. It’s about states, armies, and corporations. It’s about orders from on high.” Networks have nodes and have always been with us. From our family, and founding fathers to Facebook, it’s about whom you know and whom they know that forms your network.

Most of us would think that if we can get the ear or heart of the CEO, King, or Owner, we can reach underlings with our messages. But this book talks about Thomas Cromwell who was the principal secretary to King Henry VIII. Cromwell had access to over 20,000 letters belonging to the dynasty, hence he had access, knowledge, and insight that few could have prior to the invention of the printing press.

The purpose of that peer-to-peer networking meeting is about who needs what. Not about, “does what I sell, meet their needs”, or “whom do they know who needs what I sell?” It’s 100% about whom I know, that’s a quality connection, who can help them solve a problem.

So back to my theory that maintaining fewer connections with quality networkers is much more fruitful than riding the coattails of those influencers with the most connections.

In this episode, we will discuss the difference between hierarchical and node networking.