Superconnect
Harnessing the Power of Networks and the Strength of Weak Links
By: Richard Koch, Greg Lockwood
Published: August 24, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 304 pages
ISBN: 978-0-7710-9592-4
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
"If you ever look back at a turning-point, you'll uncover a chain of human contacts - as we did - who played a crucial role in what happened to you", write entrepreneurs Richard Koch and Greg Lockwood in their brilliant and insightful book Superconnect: Harnessing the Power of Networks and the Strength of Weak Links. The authors describe how these often very casual contacts operate, and how to utilize their connecting power to enhance your own life and success.
Richard Koch (photo left) and Greg Lockwood point out the importance of the interpersonal links that now connect literally everyone on the planet. The authors consider the well known axiom, that everyone is six degrees of separation from everyone else in the world, and discover that on average that the concept holds true. What is most important in this small world idea is that very fleeting and remote links between people are usually the forces for the greatest impact on people's lives. The authors describe three main types of interpersonal links. The first is the strong link of close friends and family. The second is the weak links of acquaintances and friends of friends. The third type of link is the hub where many different and disparate contacts meet and connect in new and exciting ways. The person who can integrate all aspects of the link types, and utilize them in countless ways with others, becomes a superconnector.
Greg Lockwood (photo left) and Richard Koch uncover many unexpected and counter-intuitive aspects to links. To their surprise, the least useful links for getting jobs or building a new business venture were the strongest links. In fact, the close relationship with family and friends very often worked against the person, making a new job or business a much less likely outcome. The best links, as it turns out, are those fleeting weak links of acquaintances, people not seen in years or even decades, and chance encounters that have a wonderful tinge of serendipity. The hubs where widely separated, casual acquaintances meet and discuss topics of interest, can occur spontaneously both on the internet and in the offline world. People who are superconnectors are able to introduce people to one another for their mutual interest and benefit. For business people, the more weak links added, the greater the chances of business success.
For me, the power of the book is how Richard Koch and Greg Lockwood guide the reader through the fascinating world of weak and strong links, with clarity and purpose. The authors share their experiences with making connections through weak links in their own business careers. They also describe how connectors and superconnectors may be the the least likely people. The authors emphasize the critical importance of making casual acquaintances at all times, and with everyone possible. No one can predict which weak link can be the one that makes a successful connection. For business people, the power of networks is obvious, but seldom understood. The authors present a strong theoretical and practical framework for building career and business success through weak links. The authors found success in their own business lives through creating companies that operated based on links and connections, and make the case that such businesses are the most profitable and become dominant in their respective niches.
I highly recommend the intriguing and groundbreaking book Superconnect: Harnessing the Power of Networks and the Strength of Weak Links by Richard Koch and Greg Lockwood, to anyone seeking a deeper and more clear understanding of the power and vast potential of interpersonal networks. Going far beyond the basics of networks, the authors share a vision of how casual connections can be actual life changing events for people. One meeting can indeed change a person's entire future.
Read the the fascinating book Superconnect: Harnessing the Power of Networks and the Strength of Weak Links by Greg Lockwood and Richard Koch, and put the power of weak links to work in building your own career or company. The book demonstrates with clarity, how the seemingly most tenuous of links and casual connections, are the basis for successful career change and entrepreneurial growth.
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