20 Expert Ways to Leverage Your Strengths and Connections for Growth

Start by identifying your unique strengths and intentionally contributing to your community.

Leaders often succeed by building on their unique strengths and tapping into the power of their communities. Whether through strategic collaborations, mentoring others, or applying specialized skills in new ways, leveraging these resources can accelerate personal growth and professional advancement. However, identifying the best ways to harness your talents and network effectively can feel overwhelming without the right guidance.

1. Expand Your Skill Set Through Peer Mentorship

The ROI on personal and professional growth is entirely dependent on the input. I’ve found that nonprofit and networking organizations where I can work with others outside my industry have been the most fruitful in expanding my skill set and worldview through peer mentorship. – Monica Hickey, The Evoke Agency

2. Use Social Media Consistently

Hands down, the fastest, most scalable way to leverage your skills and grow is on LinkedIn. Where else can you curate a billion-plus who share, teach, and want to connect with no profit motive? The easiest way to ramp up is to find those in your industry, follow them (and ring the bell on their profile for content updates), and consume and engage. Stay consistent for 30 days, and watch what happens. – Loren Greiff, Portfolio Rocket

3. Master Principles That Inspire and Serve Others

Personal and professional growth comes from mastering principles that uplift individuals and create a lasting impact. True leadership lies in leveraging our skills and networks to serve, give, and inspire collective progress. To experience growth, consider the law of action and master the following principles: serve others, give without expectations, and create meaningful impact. – Maryanne Piña, Career Management Partners (CMP)

4. Encourage Learning and Respect

Leaders grow by fostering a culture of development for themselves and their teams. This starts with clear communication, respect, and providing opportunities for both guided and self-directed learning. Welcoming diverse perspectives and new ways of problem-solving will challenge you to grow into a stronger, more effective leader. – Eddy Azad, Parsec Automation Corp.

5. Lean on Others

You can’t lead alone. Engaging with your business community and colleagues is essential for leadership growth. Connect with others in your industry or community to learn how they approach leadership. How are they navigating challenges? Exploring these perspectives uncovers strategies and skills you may not have considered. Leadership is collaboration, learning, and fostering meaningful connections. – Matthew Tengwall, Verint Systems

6. Diversify Your Network

Diversity in your professional knowledge and expertise toolset is essential to professional growth and networking. In healthcare, networking with a wide variety of peers and professionals can be particularly helpful in solving many of the daily complex issues we face. – Hudson Garrett Jr., Community Health Associates

7. Add Value Freely to Open Doors

A leader can find ways to add value to their network for free. While it is generally important to be compensated for your skills and services, being able to share your unique gifts with the right people freely may very easily open up greater opportunities to network, make business partnerships, or meet new clientele who would pay full price for what you have to offer. – Jonathan Brierre, Reactive Media Group

8. Share Insights Through Events and Webinars

Leaders have such a valuable opportunity to help others grow by taking advantage of their industry expertise and connecting with people on a personal level. Hosting educational webinars, attending local business events, or speaking at conferences are all great ways for leaders to pass on their industry insights and help others experience personal and professional growth. – Misty Larkins, Relevance

9. Embrace New Experiences

While it depends on their skill sets and the composition of their networks, there are ample ways to grow through board work, volunteering with local organizations, or mentoring at an area college or university. Growth comes from new experiences, so trying something different is a surefire way to gain a fresh perspective. – Caitlin MacGregor, Plum

10. Leverage Networks to Create Value

Leaders can leverage their networks by identifying opportunities where their skill sets can create value for others. Being active members of communities in various industries helps those networks grow and enables leaders to foster meaningful relationships, expand their influence, and learn from diverse perspectives. – Evan Nierman, Red Banyan

11. Build a Reputation That Keeps You Top of Mind

It’s not about who you know but about who knows you. There will be meetings where executives and board members discuss a problem or opportunity that needs addressing. They’ll ask who to assign or hire to tackle it. You want them to think of you. So, ensure you build a reputation for delivering results. Stay connected and helpful to your network so you remain top of mind when an opportunity arises. – David Fossas, ReciprocityCo.

12. Share Your Expertise

Put yourself out there by offering value without expecting a return. Engage across platforms and never neglect in-person networking. Win trust by sharing expertise freely. I like to tell future clients, “My knowledge is free, but the work is paid.” When you consistently add value and foster genuine connections, opportunities tend to follow naturally, fueling personal and professional growth. – Jack Borie, Ubix Labs

13. Use Your Skills to Give Back

One way someone can leverage their skill sets and community networks that would help them grow is to use them for a volunteer community project or to help other struggling businesses in the community for free. This shows the community the leader’s skills that may have been hidden before, providing more opportunities. It gets them into the public and shows they are invested in the community. – Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure

14. Be a Mentor in Your Community

A leader can leverage their skill sets by identifying areas where they excel and offering mentorship or guidance within the community. By sharing expertise, collaborating with others, and building meaningful relationships, they can expand their influence, learn from peers, and gain new opportunities. This builds personal growth, strengthens professional networks, and opens doors for career advancement. – Kristin Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC

15. Turn Your Network Into a Growth Engine

Instead of just seeking connections, create value hubs. Run small mastermind groups where members solve each other’s challenges, or host targeted workshops that draw from your unique skills. By enabling others, you amplify your own growth—leadership is about scaling impact, not just influence. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS

16. Align Your Skills With Opportunities

Leaders grow by aligning their unique skills with meaningful opportunities in their networks. Sharing expertise fosters trust and collaboration while seeking guidance expands perspective. By building genuine relationships and staying active in their community, leaders create a dynamic exchange of knowledge and support that drives both personal growth and professional success. – Stephanie Harris, PartnerCentric

17. Host Reflective Peer Groups

Reflective peer groups create a forum for leaders to share their unique skills, insights, and experiences with others while simultaneously receiving real-time feedback that allows for the progression of thoughts and fast growth opportunities. – Gretchen Fox, MTO Agency

18. Create a Personal Board

Leaders can fight isolation and accelerate growth by building an “unofficial personal board” of trusted advisors. By intentionally cultivating diverse professional networks, they gain perspectives, share challenges, and access opportunities. The key is matching unique skills to areas where they add value while creating genuine relationships that enable continuous development. – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications

19. Offer What Others Need

Build the habit of always looking for what others need. There are always opportunities to be generative and generous. Connect more deeply to understand them and their needs. Then, build bridges or share resources. This approach fosters trust, amplifies impact, and strengthens networks. You give and grow—and it works personally and professionally. – Dr. Camille Preston, AIM Leadership, LLC

20. Embrace a Service Mindset

A leader can grow personally and professionally by adopting a service mindset. Start by identifying your unique strengths and intentionally contributing to your community. Focus on what you can give, not what you can gain. This approach builds trust, expands networks, and fosters growth—both in others and yourself—creating opportunities that emerge naturally. – Mukesh Kumar, Slalom

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