Value and Visibility of Connection/Networking Leaders to Rise

[Michael Lee Stallard]

Michael Maccoby has written about the necessity of leadership systems where leaders with different but complementary strengths work together. The connecting/networking leader is one of the leaders Michael identifies. I just hosted a webcast interview with Polly Pearson, Vice President of Employee Brand and Strategy Engagement at EMC. She is a connecting/networking leader, the hub in a huge social network at EMC that helps people connect, increases employee engagement, energy and cooperation. Polly has been called the "Queen of Cool." The title fits her well! She has a talent for identifying cool people at EMC who do cool things and raising awareness of them and their work throughout the company. She does this via her radio program, blogging and the web 2.0 enabled community she has nurtured. There are now 40 external bloggers at EMC and more than 160 communities of interest. I predict that in the years ahead more organizations will add roles like Polly's as the benefits of greater employee engagement and an increase in knowledge flow that stimulates innovation, become apparent. Check out Polly's blog here and the webcast I did with here.