To build a strong professional network and advance your career, actively participate in relevant online communities. As speaker Jeremy Byars quotes, "if you want a village, be a villager." Consistent, genuine engagement creates visibility and opportunities that passive observation never will.

Before seeking expensive external help or assuming you lack connections, meticulously audit your current network. The solution to a major career challenge, like breaking into a new industry, is often just one introduction away from someone you already know. Your network is more powerful than you think.

Early in your career, prioritize building genuine friendships with your cohort. These peers will rise to become future industry leaders, creating a powerful, long-term network for support and opportunities that will far outlast your current role or relationship with management.

Don't leave networking to chance. Proactively identify and maintain a written list of at least 20 people in your network who naturally enjoy introducing others. Pairing this list with your target prospect list creates a repeatable, machine-like process for generating warm introductions.

Rather than seeking traditional mentors, Allspring CEO Kate Burke advises building a personal "board of directors." This is a curated, dynamic group of people from different areas of your life who provide diverse perspectives on challenges, with members rotating as your career and life evolve.

A manager is not a mentor. Instead of depending on a single, formal mentor within their reporting structure, aspiring leaders should cultivate a personal 'board' of two or three trusted advisors. This external network provides diverse, on-demand input for specific business situations that fall outside a leader's direct experience or comfort zone.

While a network of peers is valuable for tactical issues, your personal advisory board must be diverse. Relying solely on people with the same role and experience as you (e.g., only other CMOs) will limit your perspective and hinder your ability to see the bigger picture or prepare for your next career step.

Building influence requires a strategic approach. Actively survey your professional relationships, identify where you lack connections with stakeholders, and methodically invest time in building alliances with leaders who can advocate for your ideas when you're not in the room.

While mentors are widely discussed, forming a small group of peers on a similar career journey is a more potent, underutilized tool. A trusted peer group, especially with members outside your own company, accelerates learning, expands your network exponentially, and provides crucial support.