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As the sun at the center of this complex, ever-growing network, you play a critical role. It's up to you to make and maintain the connections that link all these members into a single, living network. By putting a star from one segment of the network in contact with a star from another distant quadrant, you are offering them both an opportunity to generate light and energy together -- to produce new value that neither one could create alone.

When people talk about networking, most think about people trading business cards and calling each other for referrals. That's part of it, but networking should really be thought of as adding nodes, then turning them on in a way that adds value.

My friend John Coulter is a master networker. He lives in Chicago and spent 26 years working with his best buddy from college, Jimmy deCastro, building the largest radio group in the country. Their AM/FM group boasted more than 450 stations when they finally sold it to Clear Channel in 2000. Today, John is a consultant spending much of his time helping early-stage media entrepreneurs. One meeting with John and you know that he is a powerful force, his optimism and energy are inspiring.

As you might imagine from the breadth of his business experience, John's network reaches deep. Call him for a headhunter -- he's got 12. Mention you're visiting Cincinnati -- he'll rattle off the names of three sales reps, a half-dozen contacts at Procter & Gamble, two top restaurants, and the phone number of a great car service.

John's great memory is an asset. But what really makes John powerful is that he knows what his contacts need and what they are trying to do, and he helps connect them to the people who can do it.

For people like John, networking is about giving. When he meets someone new, rather than looking for a referral or an equal handoff, John asks himself one question: "What does this person need, and how can I help?"

If someone has a business idea, John doesn't play the critic. (He accepts the fact that most people have no idea what'll work and what won't, a truth that becomes clearer the longer you work in any business, whether it's movies, publishing, or plumbing fixtures.) Instead, he becomes this individual's champion: "Who can I introduce you to that might be interested in your idea? Here are a few names..."Wherever you're trying to go, people like John help you get there faster. And with each interaction, the laws of karma increase John's own value and success.

Networking as Understanding People's Needs

How do we build relationships with people like John, becoming valued nodes on the network? What it really comes down to is meeting people's needs. If we meet others' needs -- provide value in ways that matter to them -- our needs will be met as well (ultimately if not immediately).

People who believe in this philosophy of networking don't work towards equal, one-for-one exchange. They give for the joy of giving, knowing that the world has a way of sharing rewards.

Of course, knowing how and what to give to the other people in your network isn't always so easy. With people who are a permanent part of your network (fixed stars in your universe), you have opportunities to communicate, share, observe, and learn what matters to them. With newcomers or slight acquaintances, it may take some insight or intuition.

Generally speaking, business people are usually looking for three types of solutions.

The first type is solutions that'll make them money. For example, you can