NO LEADER SUCCEEDS ALONE. Successful leaders excel when they are embedded in a network of other leaders, so it’s crucial to establish those connections. Your leadership network should include the people you recruit for your teams and the ones you turn to for help; they’re the people you look up to as well as the ones you are developing as the next generation. They are the people who will spread the word, for good or ill, about your caliber as a leader.

So how do you build a first-class leadership network? Here are the best lessons I’ve learned.

The Players

In deciding whom to include in your leadership network, be selective and think across many different dimensions. The goal is to create a partnership of like minds, a set of concentric circles that gradually expand to create your network.

Soul mates and storytellers. Start with the people you are closest to?the ones who know your spirit, your struggles, strengths and successes. You may have only a few soul mates in your life. When you find one, hang on to him at all costs. Special versions of these are people who may not be like you but who appreciate you and your story. They are opinion leaders or journalists who are positioned to tell your story to people who matter. How do you know when you’ve found a soul mate? I know when I start telling my wife, the person I’m closest to, about someone new I’ve met.

Mentors and protŽgŽs. Mentors create opportunities as well as provide coaching and support. ProtŽgŽs help you accomplish goals and also reinforce your own leadership lessons. Your relationships with these leaders are long-term, mutual commitments based on push and pull, seek and guide, explore and achieve, protect and support.

Peers and colleagues. Develop relationships with colleagues inside your organization and peers outside it. Facing similar challenges in life or career creates a bond and a sense of camaraderie, as well as a high likelihood that something you learn will be valuable to them and vice versa. In building my peer network, I look for diverse leaders who work in different sectors or professions. I find this enriches my base of intellectual capital tremendously.

Heroes and legends. Great leaders know their heroes and legends. These are the people you model yourself after. You don’t have to be adept at channeling to take advantage of their spirit and expertise. Follow their writings. Read their bios. Absorb the patterns of their lives. Assess their decision making. Learn from their problem-solving approaches. One of my favorite mentors distinguishes himself in many ways, but the most interesting is the first question he asks anyone new that he meets: "Who are your heroes and why?"