In his new book, "The Heart of Networking," Ricky Steele goes beyond traditional networking strategies, delving deep into the emotional and interpersonal aspects of building meaningful connections. Steele emphasizes the significance of authenticity, empathy, and genuine relationships in fostering professional success. Drawing from his own experiences, he offers practical advice on how to connect with people on a personal level, enhancing one's career and personal growth. Ricky Steele's book is a must-read for anyone seeking to harness the power of genuine relationships in the ever-evolving landscape of professional networking.

 

According to Anne Wainscott in her book review, “Written with first-hand stories and Ricky’s legendary humor, the book is much more than a “how-to” of networking; it’s a blueprint and philosophy for life – of how to change lives through networking. Ricky should know: he’s leveraged his considerable connections to do good in the community. In 1986, he founded Atlanta’s Table, a program of The Atlanta Community Food Bank as a nonprofit organization that takes leftover food from restaurants, hotels and catering companies to places that serve folks who are hungry.”

 

Ricky started his talk by referring to ‘the dash’. The dash is your life from birth to death and what you do with the dash that you have been given tells your story. “Networking for creating ‘good’ is how we improve on our own dash.” Ricky focused his talk by providing several tips about life and building an authentic network:

 

TIP 1: The root word of network is Work. Don’t fear failure.

TIP 2: The most important person is the NEXT person.

TIP 3: Listen. Ask: “How May I Help You?”

TIP 4: Invest in every encounter.

TIP 5: Choose to be a servant.