ABSTRACT
One of the most dreaded developmental challenges aspiring leaders in community colleges and higher education generally face is creating a network. There are many obstacles to establishing active networks. First, those who rise through the ranks based on their internal comfort zones might believe that success leads to other opportunities. Second, some cannot create relational lines that depend less on skills and more on building blocks needed to grow support for decision-making, upward mobility, and in some cases, security. Strategically building up one’s network takes time. It is conscious behavior focused on cultivation, not manipulation, and prioritizes helping and being helped. Networking is challenging. It dictates going beyond one’s comfort zone. Networking occurs every day through casual conversations with people. In this context, one can network simply with the person sitting closest to them on a plane or to the person standing in line where the conversation is quite casual.
