Rob is a world-renowned executive coach, author, keynote speaker and podcaster who uses neuroscience, research-backed leadership best practices and high-performance mindset strategies to take leaders to the next level. Rob is known for his abilities to impact his clients quickly, delivering massive results in as little as a few weeks while lasting for years.
His upcoming book, Antidote for an A$$hole boss, is the definitive guide to spotting, and stopping, bad leadership behavior – so that you don’t turn into an a**hole. Discover leadership from the inside out, in the battle against the a-holes that are ruining your organization (and your day). Showing up as your “best self” isn’t just a pipe dream – it’s the antidote that every leader needs! You are not your behavior – here’s the book that shows anyone how to create lasting and powerful change in your organization and in your self.
Company: Elite High Performance
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company
Rob Kalwarowsky: Rob is a world-renowned executive coach, author, keynote speaker and podcaster who uses neuroscience, research-backed leadership best practices and high-performance strategies to take leaders to the next level. Rob is known for his abilities to impact his clients quickly, delivering massive results in as little as a few weeks while lasting for years. Rob is not your average leadership coach. He has impacted clients and audiences as far as Japan & Australia, across Europe, the USA and throughout his home-country of Canada. In 2023, Rob was handpicked to speak at TEDx in Kumamoto, Japan and was selected as a Top 100 Most Dynamic Leader by Exeleon Magazine. Not limiting his impact to clients, Rob co-hosts the Leadership Launchpad Project podcast, ranked #3 leadership podcast in Canada by Feedspot. He has also appeared on over 500 podcasts heard by hundreds of thousands of people. Rob is not a coach for people who want to stay average. With a client roster including Fortune 500 executives, C-suite leaders, visionary entrepreneurs, and Olympic Gold Medalists, Rob only works with elite performers who want to dig into the work so they can achieve huge results. He’s the right coach for you if you’re driven to hit your pinnacle goals.
How has the significance of networking evolved over the past decades?
Rob Kalwarowsky: Relationships have always been important in building your business, your career and achieving your goals. As Jim Rohn said, “you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. When I start coaching my clients, they have often left this to chance. Often, some of these five people are not supporting them in achieving their biggest goals. With personal relationships (family, friends, etc), a limited mindset or jealousy can slow you down or even stop you from getting what you want. I want you to look at your group of five people. How are they helping or hurting you in achieving your goals? What changes would you make in your relationships, whether that’s avoiding certain topics with certain people or limiting your contact with them? Deliberate and conscious decisions are where you are going to unlock your highest performance to achieve what you want in life.
Can you share a personal story where one networking interaction led to unexpected doors opening, and how it highlights the ripple effect of networking?
Rob Kalwarowsky: In 2019, I was introduced to a founder & CEO who’s a thought-leader & podcaster in the industrial space. At first, a 15 minute chat, led to a podcast that we did together where we promoted it to our communities. That interview led to the CEO hiring me as her executive coach and has evolved into both a friendship and partnership. She’s had me keynote at her events and referred me to other clients and other keynote speaking opportunities. What might be the most interesting fact is that we had worked together for almost 3 years before we met in person for the first time. You can never predict the outcome of a quick chat and being open to possibilities.
What are some common networking mistakes people make, and how can they pivot to turn potential missteps into learning experiences?
Rob Kalwarowsky: The most common networking mistake is connecting with people for the sole reason of selling them, or “taking” value. As Bob Burg writes in his book, Endless Referrals, “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like, and trust.” When you meet someone new, how are you building the relationship? How are you adding value for this new person?
A strategy that I use to add value to my network is through the power of connection. Whenever I meet someone, I ask them who is a person, or type of person, that they would like to meet. That gives me the opportunity to make connection(s) and add value for them. It’s a strategy that builds community and increases value to my network., building trust throughout.
The second mistake that I see is not being strategic with your networking. Many executives & entrepreneurs are overusing networking and hoping that they make a great connection. They attend every event, book many coffee chats, some even use automation to build their social media networks. This takes time and energy that you cannot waste when you’re pursuing your biggest goals. I coach my clients to strategically choose 10 people who will add massive value to their business, their career or their life through meeting them. We craft specific plans to reach out to each person and to start a relationship. Set yourself apart from your peers by being personal, directive and strategic to build your business, your careers and achieve bigger results.
How do you see the future of networking evolving with the rise of AI, VR, and other technologies?
Rob Kalwarowsky: Digital networking has already been a great way to connect with people around the world for many years. Regardless if you are running a business or working within a company, you need to be strategically building relationships both in-person and digitally. I think that VR will add a new element where networking events and virtual conferences would feel more real. The trend of digital networking will continue to rise and the more “in-person” that technology can make interactions feel, the more people will gravitate towards them.
