Networking at the Top: Why Senior Executives Struggle—and How to Get It Right

1. Ego gets in the way

At senior level, identity and status are deeply tied to competence. Asking for help can feel like weakness. The irony is that the strongest leaders are usually those willing to admit when they need perspective.
How to counter it: start small. Reach out to a few trusted peers or ex-colleagues, not to “ask for a job” but to compare notes. Repetition rewires the discomfort. Every positive exchange makes the next one easier.

2. Secrecy becomes self-sabotage

Executives fear visibility during a transition, yet total silence kills opportunity. You can’t build a network by hiding.
Instead: practice selective transparency. Identify 10–15 trusted contacts outside your current chain of command. Frame your outreach as long-range market mapping, not job hunting. Senior people respect discretion if you ask for it directly.

3. The search always takes longer than you think

At C-suite level, fit, trust, and timing dominate. Vetting processes stretch from months to a year. Impatience breeds bad decisions.
The fix: treat networking as a parallel discipline. Fill your calendar with high-energy, low-risk activities—mentoring, board advisory, or pro-bono projects—that keep you visible while the slower work unfolds.

4. You can’t delegate this

Many leaders are conditioned to outsource detail. But authentic connection can’t be delegated. You have to make the calls yourself.

Build a system:
Information givers – people who keep you informed on markets and trends.

Door openers – connectors who can vouch for you.

Decision makers – those with hiring authority.

Start with 50 names, track every conversation, and finish each one with “Who else should I speak to?”

5. Focus on the future, not the backstory

Executives often over-explain why they’re leaving, turning each meeting into a defence of the past. Nobody hires out of sympathy.
Keep the ratio 20:80 – 20 per cent context, 80 per cent forward-looking. What are you exploring? What business problems do you love solving? People respond to direction, not damage control.

6. Tailor your story every time

There’s no universal elevator pitch at this level. Generic messaging signals low effort.
Shift the lens: stop talking about yourself; start talking about them. Show that you understand their commercial pressure points and can contribute to solving them.
Example:
“I saw your group moving towards real-time pricing. At [Company] we achieved a 28% inventory reduction in two quarters by aligning operations and data science under one P&L. Happy to share what worked.”
It’s not a pitch—it’s a conversation about value.