Studies have show that leaders and millionaires have strong networks. Networks are, however, difficult to build. There are so many worthy organizations and boards that we can become involved with. Where should you focus? Many choose to follow their passion, which is extraordinarily important. I propose that we insert a previous consideration: alignment with your business and personal goals. I believe the first step is to ensure that whatever group you become involved with will enable you to build relationships with people that yes, share your passion, but also can benefit your business. It doesn’t make sense to me to spend time making the world a better place if you are not taking care of your own world at the same time: yourself and your family.

How do you do this? Our business, for example, focuses on strategic planning and initiative management, so we want to connect with top decision makers and business leaders. I first did an analysis of the movers and shakers in our business community and learned what professional and civic organizations they were involved with. Several groups stood out as key centers for top-flight executives.

From there I mapped those groups against my passions. One top organization in my community, for example, is the Lyric Opera. However, I cannot get excited about opera to save my soul. If I were to participate, it would be transparent that I didn’t truly care and was there only to hone in on people for my own business purposes. While that approach may work for many, that represents the part of networking that I don’t like and am not good at: finding people to ‘use’.

Instead, I get involved in organizations that I am absolutely passionate about. I radiate sincerity, energy and commitment naturally. I am working shoulder to shoulder with top business people around a common cause, and building meaningful, values-based relationships. People get to know and believe in me, just as I do them. And the benefits ripple outward in the most unexpected ways.