Six degrees of separation are allegedly all that stand between you and anyone on the planet. Or, according to my father, “There are not six degrees of separation, there are two; you just have to think hard enough.”

Like him, I’m a connector, and would agree that regardless of how many people it takes to connect us, no one is too far removed. What’s more, it can be a great joy to facilitate those connections for people in your network.

But I’ve also learned that just because things come naturally to me, it’s not always the same for others. I learned this most pointedly with networking. Here are 16 quick, immediate tips to help you become a better networker:

Read more: 16 Tips for Networking Smarter

To be a successful small business owner, you have to learn to listen. You have to learn when to be bold, and when to be patient. You have to know when to act, and when to observe. David Steinberg is the CEO of XL Marketing, and he talked about his growth as a leader in an interview with the New York Times. He talks about what he looks for in fellow entrepreneurs, and how he encourages a culture of innovation at his own company--by letting his people pursue their ideas, so they are free to succeed or fail. They are not strictly tasked and forbidden from trying something just because it might not work.

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