Acting like a leader is not just about what you do. It’s also about the company you keep. So what kind of company are you keeping?

In her brilliant new book, Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader, Herminia Ibarra describes the best ways to lead with far greater impact. She emphasizes the necessity of redefining your job to make more strategic contributions and “playfully evolving” your outdated leadership style. But the other strategy for becoming a leader is to diversify your network with the “right company” so that you can connect and learn from a bigger range of stakeholders.

How does this grab you for using networks as a leadership tool?

Sensing trends and seeing opportunities.

Building ties to opinion leaders and talent in diverse arenas.

Working collaboratively across boundaries to create more value.

Avoiding groupthink.

Generating breakthrough ideas.

Obtaining career opportunities.

This kind of network requires a “diverse, widespread, dynamic, and cross-cutting set of relations to help you to lead change, move into assignments in which you can play a bigger leadership role, and take charge of your professional development.”

*Herminia Ibarra, Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader. (Harvard Business Review Press: Boston), 2015.