Latest / Executive Careers with Fexingo: VP, C-Suite, and Senior Leadership Career Strategy / How Senior Leaders Use Strategic Networking to Fill Skill Gaps
Transcript
- Lucas: There's a version of networking that most senior leaders are taught early — go to events, collect business cards, follow up on LinkedIn, ask for informational interviews. And it works fine if your goal is visibility or job leads. Luna: But what if your goal is to actually learn something? To fill a specific skill gap that's blocking your next move? Lucas: Exactly. That's a fundamentally different use of your network. And it's far more strategic than the standard advice. I've been looking at how a VP of Operations at a logistics firm — let's call her Sarah — used her network to close skill gaps that were keeping her from the COO seat. Luna: How did she identify those gaps? Most executives I know have a vague sense they're missing something, but they don't pin it down. Lucas: She did a structured gap analysis. She looked at the job descriptions for COO roles at comparable companies — about twenty of them — and highlighted every required competency she didn't have a strong example for. The list came down to five things: M&A integration, supply chain digitization, board presentation skills, P&L management for a division over $200 million, and regulatory affairs in a specific federal context. Luna: That's brutally specific. Most people would stop at 'I need more experience in operations.' Lucas: Right. And that vagueness is why most networking for skill-building doesn't work. Sarah then went and found people — not necessarily in her industry — who were known for each of those five competencies. She didn't ask them to be mentors. She asked for something much smaller and more targeted. Luna: What did she ask for? Lucas: A single conversation. But with a very narrow brief. For the M&A integration gap, she contacted a former colleague who'd led three acquisitions at a larger competitor. Her ask was: 'Can I walk you through my company's integration playbook for thirty minutes and get your red flags?' That's not 'teach me M&A.' That's 'help me stress-test one specific piece of work.' Luna: That's smart because it respects the other person's time. You're not asking for a broad education — you're asking for a targeted review. Lucas: Exactly. And the other person usually says yes because it's a low‑friction ask that plays to their expertise. Sarah did this systematically over about eighteen months. For each of the five gaps, she found one person and had one focused conversation. Then she applied what she learned, and came back to that same person with a follow‑up: 'Here's what I did with your advice — what would you change?' Luna: That follow‑up is key. Most people never close the loop. By showing she actually implemented the input, she built genuine relationships — not just a contact list. Lucas: That's the difference between a skill network and a rolodex. A skill network is active. You're not just collecting names — you're iterating on specific competencies with specific people who have a stake in your progress. Sarah ended up with five people who each knew they'd helped her level up in one area. When she eventually applied for the COO role, three of them wrote references that spoke to her capability in those exact areas. Luna: But there's a risk here. This can feel very transactional. If you're only reaching out when you need something, people pick up on that. Lucas: That's the criticism I hear most. And it's valid if the approach is purely extractive. But Sarah built reciprocity into the model. For each of those five people, she found a way to give back — sometimes it was introducing them to someone in her network, sometimes it was sharing a piece of data or a process improvement from her own work. She wasn't keeping score, but she was intentional about not being a taker. Luna: So it's not about networking to take. It's about networking to learn, and then finding your own way to contribute. Lucas: Exactly. And the reciprocity doesn't have to be equal in the moment. It can be long-term. I've seen this work particularly well for senior leaders who feel stuck because they're missing exactly one or two competencies. They have the track record, the judgment, the leadership — but they need to close a specific gap to be credible for the next role. Luna: That's the kind of listener who might find this show helpful beyond just this episode. If you've been thinking through a career move or a skill gap you want to address, and the conversations here have made you think differently — that's exactly what we hope for. And if you've gotten value from the show, we'd love your support to keep it ad‑free. It takes a few seconds at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, just a sincere thanks if you do. Lucas: And it genuinely makes a difference. Back to Sarah — the other piece of her approach that I found interesting was that she didn't only network up. She also networked sideways and even down, into roles that had the operational depth she needed. Luna: You mean she talked to people below her level? Lucas: Yes. One of her gaps was supply chain digitization. She knew the theory, but she hadn't led a digital implementation herself. Instead of going to a VP of Supply Chain, she reached out to a senior director at a tech‑forward competitor — someone two levels below her in title but who had actually run the implementation. That person was thrilled to talk to someone at Sarah's level who respected their expertise. Luna: That's a great point. Often the person with the deepest knowledge isn't the most senior person. And they're also more available. Lucas: And they often have more incentive to build a relationship upward. So the skill network can be a mutually beneficial structure, not a one‑way street. Sarah's approach to the board presentation gap is another good example. She had experience presenting to her own CEO, but never to a board of directors. She asked a friend who served on a nonprofit board if she could present a dry run of a strategic update to that board as a guest. It was low stakes — the nonprofit board didn't care if she stumbled — but she got real feedback from actual board members. Luna: That's creative. She created a practice environment with real stakes, but not the full pressure of her actual board. Lucas: And that's the core of the skill network idea. It's not about finding a mentor who gives you general advice over coffee every quarter. It's about identifying the exact skill you need, finding the person who has demonstrated that skill, and designing a low‑risk interaction where you can learn it. Luna: So if a listener wanted to start this tomorrow, what's the first step? Lucas: Write down the next role you're targeting — be specific about title, company size, industry. Then pull five job descriptions for that role. Highlight every requirement that you can't already demonstrate with a concrete example. That's your gap list. Then for each gap, think of one person you know or could get introduced to who has that skill. If you don't know anyone, look at your alumni network, LinkedIn, industry events. The key is to start with one gap and one person. Luna: And the ask should be as narrow as possible. Lucas: Yes. Not 'can you mentor me' but 'I'm working on this specific problem and would value your perspective on one aspect.' People say yes to specific, bounded asks. And when you follow up with what you did differently based on their input, you turn a one‑time conversation into a lasting connection. Luna: I also think there's a mindset shift here. Instead of networking to get a job, you're networking to become the person who deserves the job. Lucas: That's exactly it. The skill network approach reframes networking as a learning tool, not a transaction. And it works especially well for senior leaders because at that level, the gaps are often narrow but deep. You don't need to learn a whole new function — you need to add one specific capability to an already strong profile. Luna: And the people you learn from become your biggest advocates, because they saw you grow. Lucas: That's the hidden benefit. Sarah's five contacts didn't just help her fill gaps. When the COO role opened up, two of them were on the interview panel at other companies and could speak to her directly. One even recommended her to a recruiter. The network she built for learning turned into a network that accelerated her career. Luna: So the question for our listeners is: what's the one skill gap that's most likely holding you back from your next role — and who is the one person who could help you close it this quarter? Lucas: Start there. One gap, one person, one very specific ask. And then do it again. That's how you build a skill network that actually moves your career forward.