Social capital and why you need it
In his famous book the 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene highlights one law that reigns supreme for me: ‘Do not build fortresses to protect yourself- isolation is dangerous’. Greene insists that isolation can expose an individual to more dangers than it protects him or her from. There is no denying that this is a relevant law for our times and this is why a conversation on social capital is needed.
By definition, the Oxford dictionary refers to social capital as ‘the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively.’ Social capital is the advantage that many small time leaders have used to get to the top. This is because they understand that they don’t need a title to lead. Don’t get me wrong, titles are important in many ways but it does not necessarily equate to having the power to influence. If you knock on the doors of overthrown leaders, they will tell you that the people they least expected to betray them, in fact led the coups that pulled them down from the realms of power.
Take an example of Francisco Macias Nquema of Equatorial New Guinea who was overthrown in 1979 by his own nephew. The man lived in such a constant state of paranoia and greed, that he isolated himself by living in a hut in his ancestral village and hiding national treasury under his bed. He murdered intellectuals, banned religion and disappeared members of parliament among many other atrocities. In the end his nephew Lt. Col. Teodoro Obiang Macias Mbasogo- a commander of the Fernando Po military region and vice minister of defense led a coup d’état with the support of loyal followers and of course the military.
What Nquema failed to understand is that whilst he had the title of president, his extreme paranoia and isolation immediately after independence only made him unable to build any relationships that would facilitate a stable and sane rulership. Nquema made himself the national treasury, judge and jury, executioner, religious leader among many other roles that other people would have played perfectly if only he had built his social capital with them and relinquished control to his own advantage.
‘Do not build fortresses to protect yourself- isolation is dangerous’.- Robert Greene
So what do we learn from this? Why should you invest in building your social capital? Why is it so important for you to be connected to others?
- You legitimize your place in a group- the more you engage, the more people keep you in mind and cement your existence and ability to be an asset for them
- You get expertise easily and sometimes if your lucky, without paying an arm and a leg for it, saving time and money
- Your team will become stronger because they have connected with you not just intellectually but emotionally too.
The next time you don’t want to grab a coffee with a colleague, go for a boring estate meeting or attend your church’s events, I hope you will remember this article. Social Capital is your friend. Remember that and use it to your advantage!
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Happy socializing friends!
