🔗 From Awkward to Authentic: How Executive Coaching Unlocks Powerful Networking

Networking at its best is to make it all about the other person!

One of the most common themes I encounter in my executive coaching practice with those new to the country or going through a role transition, is the challenge of networking. Interestingly, this comes up not just with early-career professionals, but also with seasoned executives transitioning into market facing leadership roles, business development, or fund-raising capacities.

Many of these individuals confess that they are shy by nature or have never needed to network thus far in their career. They've excelled based on their technical competence or individual or internal team performance, and never had to consciously "network." Now, faced with responsibilities that require influencing, relationship-building, and visibility, they find themselves stuck.

🌱 Where We Begin

Our coaching conversation often starts with a simple but powerful question:

“What do you define as networking?”

The responses vary—and they’re telling. For some, networking means "making friends" or "expanding their circle." For others, it's about influence or generating leads. This early question is not about right or wrong definitions—it’s about surfacing what’s in their mind. It helps me, as their coach, understand what dimension of networking they truly care about.

🔍 Why It Matters

Next, I explore with a question:

“What makes networking important for you right now?”“What is it costing you not to network well?”

This part of the coaching journey is often eye-opening. It helps my clients realize not only what they’re missing—such as opportunities, visibility, or influence—but also the emotional toll of being isolated, stuck, or stagnant.

📖 Learning from Experience

I then invite them to reflect:

“Can you recall your best networking experience? Or your worst?”

These stories are rich with insight. Through this reflection, clients often self-diagnose what worked (or didn’t) and begin to formulate their own strategy for improvement. We followup with the exploration of what my Clients learned from that experience.

📈 From Reflection to Metrics

To ground our conversation, I ask:

“On a scale of 0 to 10, where would you place your networking skills today?”“What criteria did you use to rate yourself?”

This helps them identify their belief of what factors determine their measure of success and brings clarity to the areas they feel strong or deficient in. We then explore:

“Where would you like to be?”

This opens up a visual and emotional exploration of their desired future state—often in terms of:

• Number of relationships

• Depth and quality of those relationships

• Naturalness and confidence in initiating or sustaining conversations

When I explore:

“What would it look and feel like to be at that ideal state?”

Clients often light up. Their energy shifts. They begin describing scenarios where they feel confident, connected, and authentic. This vision becomes a powerful motivator.

🚀 From Awareness to Action

Once they’re connected with their desired state, the next question is:

“What could you do to move from where you are to where you want to be?”

By this time, the client has developed clarity, motivation, and ownership. They start articulating their own action plan—whether it’s reaching out to someone weekly, attending specific events, or practicing small talk in low-stakes settings. They think deeply before identifying various actions they could take and I simply stay silent to allow them to process:

We conclude by capturing:

• Key takeaways

• Their commitment to action

• An accountability mechanism that will keep them honest and moving forward

  
  

🪞 What Clients Learn About Themselves

When I ask:

“What did you learn about yourself in this session?”

The responses vary—but are always provide my clients an opportunity for meaningful reflection. Some say coaching gave them a “sacred space to think out loud” and be heard without judgment. Others realize:

“I thought networking was about me, but it’s really about the other person.”

This shift—from self-consciousness to curiosity about others—transforms their relationship with networking.

🎯 Final Thought

Networking isn’t a skill you suddenly acquire. It’s a mindset—a combination of clarity, curiosity, confidence, and practice. Executive coaching helps individuals unlock these traits, one insight at a time.

If you're a leader who feels like networking is unnatural or intimidating, know this: you're not alone, and you're not broken. With the right space to reflect and grow, you can become not just a good networker—but a meaningful connector.

Call to Action: Is strategic networking capability critical for your leadership success? Feel free to book a complimentary Discovery call, using that option from my website: www.SuccessSupport.ca

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