Knowing where power resides is only part of the challenge. You also need relationships that enable you to access information, resources, opportunities, and support—and to create value for others in return. In this module, you’ll follow entrepreneur Claude Grunitzky as he builds relationships across different industries, cultures, and communities. His experience will help you examine how mutual value, reciprocity, and bridging disconnected groups can strengthen relational sources of power, while also considering an important tension: how can you build relationships strategically without making them feel transactional or inauthentic?

A strong professional network is not simply a large one. Its value depends on who is in it, how closely you are connected, how those people are connected to one another, and how well that structure supports what you hope to accomplish. In this module, you’ll examine three dimensions of network design—breadth, depth, and density—and explore the benefits and tradeoffs associated with each. You’ll consider the different roles that strong and weak ties can play, learn strategies for building relationships across differences, and apply the concepts of breadth, depth, and density to evaluate how well a network fits a particular aspiration.

Building a network that supports your goals requires more than identifying the right relationships—it also requires becoming comfortable developing them. In this module, you’ll examine why networking can sometimes feel uncomfortable or transactional and explore how your mindset, motivations, and personal preferences can shape the way you approach relationship building. You’ll learn practical strategies for building relationships around learning, mutual contribution, and higher purpose, while considering how different networking approaches can work for different people. By the end of the module, you’ll be prepared to identify an approach to relationship building that feels both authentic to you and appropriate for what you hope to accomplish.