It’s not what you know, it’s who you know

I’m rapidly coming to the conclusion that the old saying “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” really is the secret to success. It’s not so secret of course – we all know it, but few of us ever spare it enough thought and, more importantly, have a plan to ‘do it properly’.

May I suggest that the people you hang out with will determine your success?

If you hang out with people who have no money, the likelihood is that you also will have no money. How often do people who make it – through luck, brilliance or sheer determination – end up moving in different social circles?

The movie ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ is a beautiful example of the ‘who you know’. Played by Will Smith, the movie tells the true story of Chris Gardner, a struggling salesman and father totally dedicated to his son, who takes the chance to fight for a stockbroker internship position at Dean Witter. He experiences homelessness with his son, trouble with the IRS and other challenges.

At one stage he manages to get himself into the corporate box of a very wealthy man to watch a football game, although his objective is to secure the pension fund (which the man oversees) as a client. The man tells him to forget it and enjoy the game.

What happened in that box though, was the ticket, because the other people he met in that corporate box liked him and ultimately become his clients and secure the business he needs to win the internship. They were wealthy and successful people and they helped make him wealthy too because they had the money, the attitude, the influence and the contacts to do so.

But it’s not easy – far from it. You need to be able to hold your own with people at that level, be personable and draw on every social skill in the book – not to mention demonstraing creativity, tenacity, grit, ambition…

So while the secret to success isn’t so secret, it’s not so easy either.