I hope you’ve had a great start to reconnecting with colleagues and friends! Having good conversations with people who have been out of your immediate scope is encouraging and can even raise your spirits.

As you continue the plan to contact five people a week, remember why this is important. Your network is a key element to your value as a professional and a leader. People think of you differently when they know you have an extensive and deep network.

This becomes even more pronounced as you share your network. Think about people you know who are well connected. Who appeals to you more: the person who “hoards” their contacts or the person who shares them?

I’m not saying that you open the doors to anyone who wants in, rather, for you to adopt a spirit of generosity in how you introduce and connect people.

Some of the most meaningful relationships that I’ve developed have emerged from sharing the unexpected. When those introductions are targeted and well timed, the recipients value them even more.

As you work on this for yourself, share your best practices with your employees. No one teaches this and having a better understanding of how to build solid relationships will have multiple benefits. Investing this time with your people will reap rewards down the road.

Be open as you expand your network and don’t judge. You never know how those intertwined relationships will provide you with the unexpected.