Social Chemistry: Decoding the Patterns of Human Connection

King, professor of organizational management at Yale, explains the nuances of networking in this smart debut. She identifies three main groups of connectors: conveners, such as Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who build dense networks with outsize trust and reputational benefits; brokers, like Barack Obama, who bring together disconnected parties from different social worlds; and expansionists, including rock ’n’ roll manager Shep Gordon, who have large social networks but can’t always maintain or leverage them. In King’s thinking, convenors don’t spend a lot of time exploring multiple social worlds, but have deep roots in a few—and pairing with brokers can inject diversity into a convenor’s network. Brokers are adaptable translators, and are the most likely group to produce innovations that benefit the group, making them good partners to both convenors and expansionists. Expansionists, meanwhile, are generous, have an uncanny ability to read others, and often have a larger social network than other personality types, making them ideal for signal-boosting messaging. A robust and lengthy notes section also provides plenty of follow-up reading material. King’s wise, well-reasoned advice will be perfect for those aiming to climb the corporate ladder. (June)