I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no mechanic. In fact, when I was a kid, my father (who can fix just about anything) brought me out to the garage one day and said, “Son, you’d better go to college because you’re never going to make a living with your hands.” Well, that was great advice, Dad. I think things have worked out pretty well with that suggestion.
Fully acknowledging my lack of skills as a mechanic, I can, however, tell you how a catalytic converter relates to networking your business.
By definition, a catalyst is an agent that initiates a reaction. In networking, a catalyst is someone who makes things happen. Without a catalyst, there is no spark, and not much gets done.
So, what would it take for you to become a catalyst for your business and your network? Four things: initiative, intention, confidence and motivation.
Initiative. Catalytic people don’t sit still–they make things happen in all aspects of their lives. As networkers, they stay alert for a problem that needs solving, then spring into action, calling on someone from their network to solve the problem. They operate with a “get it done now” mentality.
Intention. Catalytic people operate with intent and are goal-driven. As networkers, catalytic people have both business and networking goals. They learn the goals of others in order to help people get where they wish to be.
Confidence. Catalytic people have confidence in themselves and in the players on their team. This helps to ensure that the task at hand will be accomplished with stellar results.
Motivation. Catalytic people are not only motivated themselves, but they also can motivate others to perform at their highest potential. These people excite others to contribute, sharing their energy and excitement through their words and actions. They are motivated by personal and professional rewards that they can’t wait to share with others, and they desperately want to help others succeed.
To set your network in motion toward helping your business, make it your goal to become a catalytic person. Think of your network as a row of standing dominoes. Each domino will remain standing until you act upon the first domino. As a catalyst, you must tap the first domino to watch the chain reaction of tumbling dominoes. Your network is standing in place, waiting for you to set the pieces in motion.
This entry was posted on Monday, September 29th, 2008 at 6:00 am and is filed under Business, Giving, Ivan Misner, Networking, Networking Education, Networking Prep, Self Development. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.6 Responses to “Become a Networking Catalyst”
Leave a Reply
September 29th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Hie Ivan,
I really like the word: “catalyst”. Yes, being somebody that make things happens. To create a chain reaction, to enthuse people to action.
That is my objective each day to be a shaker, to shake my network. I like to help people succeed like me and give them the tools to their own accompishment.
Well thank you.
Michel Richer
CEO Hombyz.com
October 1st, 2008 at 6:14 am
After reading your blog, thought you would be interested in this…
CNBC will be airing “The Entrepreneurs” on Wednesday October 1st at 10p ET featuring the founders of Feed Granola Jason Osborn and Jason Wright. They will be discussing the methods which led to their estimated three million dollar a year business. Additional web extras can be found at http://theentrepreneurs.cnbc.com
Please let me know if you would like any additional information.
Thanks,
Kevin
201 735 4730
October 1st, 2008 at 1:30 pm
As a schoolteacher, it is very important to reinforce your words to my students, our future entrepreneurs. Being a catalyst imvolvesnot only a strong desire to make a difference in yourself, community, and the world; but also the ability to inspire others to see their own visions and potential.
Chuck Serventi
October 3rd, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Love the “domino” analogy! This is great stuff- thank you Ivan. Shawn McCarthy BNI ED
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:51 am
It is nice to read about Networking Catalysts (NC). But the questions that came to my mind after reading this article are:
1. Who would qualify as a NC and where do you come across such individuals?
2. What activities do they undertake?
I along with a close friend of mine have started a professional networking website for professionals (http://corporategrapevine.com). Would users on our website qualify as NCs….because that the actions/ events described in the article do define to a great extent as one.
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:03 am
Thank you for describing my company and myself. Icould not do any better than Ivan (I suppose). So how can I enrol as a privileged member for being the only Catalyst Entrepreneur dot com? Just kidding, I simply meant as a member.
- Initiative: Make sure your website can be written and seen in most languages worldwide in order to sell in your customers’ language
- Intention: Targeting ecommerce websites and help them to be as successful as ebay, amazon…
- Confidence: I already cover French, Germn, Italian and Spanish. You can already get your website and sell online with a great Free domain name in the language of your choice.
- Motivation: WWW. is bigger than one may think. English language is not enough and Non-English people are growing online day after day.
Bottom line: As a Catalyst person, you need to be ahead of the crowd. See big and act asap.
A bientot, Auf wiedersehen, Arrivederci, and the famous “hasta la vista, baby”.
Serge Carene
The Catalyst Entrepreneur who makes you speak your customers’ language online.