“The Power of Leadership”

Everyone has heard of “Six Degrees of Separation” which suggests that we are all connected to everyone else in the world through just six people and that thusly anyone can simply meet anyone they would like to meet.  Not true says Dr. Ivan Misner in The 29% Solution:

This legend stems originally from “small world” experiments by Stanley Milgram in the 1960’s (author of many interesting theories on human behavior by the way, check him out…).  The experiments involved a group of people sending letters to some specific person that they did not know in another part of the U.S.  They were to use a chain of connections who might know someone who might know the intended recipient thus linking them to that person.

The letters that eventually found their way to the intended recipient, did in fact average six connections (‘degrees’).  The critical missing information is that only 64 were received of 207 initiated or just a 29% success rate.  71% failed to find the intended recipient at all!  And as it turns out, this was the most successful and thusly most famous experiment of a series, some with as little as 5% success rates.

We’re simply just NOT all connected to EVERYONE on the planet with only “six degrees of separation.”

Dr. Misner believes that unfortunately this urban myth creates complacency and false expectations for networkers who are lulled into an impression that great connections are simply bound to happen sooner or later, no matter what they do.   The other clear indication of Milgram’s study is that some people are better connected than others.  This means that connecting is a skill and skills can be acquired and developed.  With effort, people can develop their networking skills, increase their connections, and become part of the 29% of people who are in fact separated from the rest of the world by just six degrees.

“By the time a man asks you for advice, he has made up his mind what he wants to do and is looking for confirmation rather than counseling.” – Sydney J. Harris

Have a great day!

Shawn

Russ M. Miller, LLIF – Chairman & CEO
Performance Institute (Human Capital Development)
Global CEO Academy (Management Training)
Sunny Hong Zhang – Managing Partner – China
Shawn M. Miller – Managing Partner – USA