One of my favourite people, Chris MacDonald, called me up a few days ago to ask for someone’s contact details. I knew this person’s info off the top of my head and rattled it off rather quickly. Chris then said to me:
“That’s why I called you. You’re the hub.”
As I hung up the phone, I sat back and reflected on that word. The Hub. I’m considered The Hub in the podcasting industry. I actually love that because it’s what I’ve set out to do. To connect others based on their needs and what they’re looking for.
My curiosity prompted me to go in search of the definition of hub. Here are some examples:
“the central part of a wheel where the spokes come together” whatis
“a place of convergence where data arrives from one or more directions and is forwarded out in one or more other directions” whatis
“an airport where most connecting flights are made from” whatis
“a common connection point for devices in a network” webopedia
“a center around which other things revolve or from which they radiate” dictionary.com
“a center of activity or interest; a focal point” dictionary.com
In other words, the hub is the backbone, the switch, the connector, the gateway, the base. When you look at yourself and your business, can you be called The Hub? Are you The Hub in your industry? If you’re unsure, here’s a list of characteristics to help you measure your hubbiness.
You don’t know everything, but you know others who do
If you’re The Hub, you don’t claim to know everything. But what you do know is who to go to if you don’t know the answer. Whenever I do media interviews, I know exactly who to send a journalist to if they need quotes from another podcaster. I just ask who they want to talk to and once I know their requirements, I connect them with the right person.
You make it easy to connect with you
As The Hub, you don’t put up any barriers. I know too many internet marketing experts who have so many tools and gatekeepers in place that it’s difficult to connect with him or her. On the one hand, I understand why. People tend not to respect the time of those who are successful. Too many want to pick the expert’s brain for free and demand things that are time consuming. So I get it. On the other hand, being able to address people’s request and point them in the right direction is essential to being known as The Hub.
You follow-up with people
All the time. Every time. It may take you a few days, but follow-up. People are counting on you to do so. If you find that you can’t follow-up quickly, get an autoresponder service through Cartville or hire an assistant. Set up your vacation message in your email that tells people when to expect a response. Mine says that I check email once a day, but send an email to my assistant for a quicker response. It works and it sets the expectation. It also tells people that you’re important, I’ll get back to you and this is when you can expect me to do so.
You don’t expect anything in return
In any network typography diagram I’ve seen, there’s a starting point. This is typically the hub and it connects nodes to each other, but rarely do the nodes connect things back to the hub. Being The Hub, you give, you share, you help and you don’t expect anything in return. There are no strings attached when you help. You just do because you know that you reap the rewards in the long run.
You leave no one behind
I was reminded of this while watching an episode of Voyager the other night. It was the one where Captain Janeway took 3 junior crewmen on their first away mission. While speaking to Seven of Nine, Janeway recounted the story of the Good Shepard. In it, he leaves his flock to chase after the one sheep that has gone astray. As Janeway said, a leader leaves no one behind.
If you’re The Hub, you have a responsibility not to leave anyone behind. You have no time for clique, instead, you’re busy connecting those who seem lost. Chris Brogan is an excellent example of this. If you attend any conference and he’s there, he will go out of his way to include someone who is sitting by themself. Chris is a perfect example of someone who doesn’t want to see anyone left out. If you want to be considered The Hub in your industry, you must make it point to leave your ego behind and connect those who seem lost.
Any other characteristics you would add to this list on how someone can assess their hubbiness?
Hi Leesa,
Great post! A large part of being “the hub” consists of educating and being a resource that people can come back to again and again that adds to their quality of life. Hubs are often authorities as well as bridges to other opportunities.
Peter, I’m reading The Tipping Point right now and know what you mean. The Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen – I see that in aspects of what hubs do too. A hub could technically be a person, or it could be a place, perhaps both at the same time.
Well done, Leesa and thanks for this fantastic post.
Best wishes,
Stephanie
Wow. This is spooky..your definition of “hub” is very much what the ideal has recently been promoted as being for Family Practice docs. Everything on your list is what makes a *good* primary care physician.
I’ve also just discovered the book, The Tipping Point. Probably old hat to you all, but “The Hub” sounds an awful lot like those folks who are one of the critical ingredients to making Things TIP, the ones who know everyone, connect everyone, and can influence everyone *just by connecting people* who can make THINGS happen, who wouldn’t otherwise get connected.
Were it not for The Hub.
Leesa, what an interesting post! I was called a “hub of information” just two days ago. Now I know it was meant as a compliment. 🙂
Great point Chris. If the hub fails to work, then the entire chain is killed. That’s another point I would add to this. Thx for the tip.
The first thought that blew through my head after thinking, “thanks for saying that” was, ” hubs are great as long as they’re active and flowing. It’s when we forget to keep that value chain rolling through that our usefulness vanishes.”
Not sure where that came from, but it probably relates to the notion that people like you stay active and connected to your space, and people who don’t will likely suffer.
Best to you. : )