09-17-07
Discrete Mathematics
Mr. Luce
What does it mean to be a connector?
A connector is somebody that knows a lot of people. They are people who have connections meaning they sustain relationships with important people. The word connector derives from the word “connect” which means “to join or fasten together usually by something intervening” (Merriam Webster). A connector’s main job is not to hold relationships with important people, but with everyone they know. Being a connector is basically being popular between large societies. Although this is not really a job, sustaining relationships can sometimes get complicated.
During Discrete math class we learned the definition of a Connector. As we read on the article displayed on class “Connectors know lots of people”. They hold as many relationships as they can, mainly to succeed in business. Some Connectors do it for the money, and some others just for fun. An example of a man that became a connector while doing his job is Andy Warhol. He is considered a connector because his designs became so popular to the point where companies like Campbell and Coca–Cola would ask him to design a logo for them. Warhol’s creativity put him as one of the more popular men in the world. He was not only known as a genius between the designers, but as “an author and a public figure known for his presence in wildly diverse social circles that included bohemian street people (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Warhol)”. His works allowed him to achieve fame, but it was his personality which helped him to maintain his title as a top designer.
Being a connector can sometimes be difficult. To succeed in this businnes people need personality more than anything else. A good personality provides the connector good relationships that remain stable forever. Besides personality, good connectors should know how to treat people form different backgrounds. In order to succeed they have to know how to make somebody feel comfortable when talking to them. A character that possesses this characteristic is the richest person in the world, Carlos Slim Helu. His charisma made people like Salinas de Gortari (Ex-President of Mexico) to like him. This relationship he has with Ex-president Salinas has given him the position he has now. By owning one of the most influential companies in Mexico, Slim is now the richest person in the world. His fortune, according to Forbes, has crossed the limits with an amount of sixty seven billion dollars, beating bill gates and many others.
The world has had many connectors, but what does it really mean to be a connector? People could think that having money makes you a connector, but that is not it. A connector is a leader, someone who stands out for his popularity and personality. Someone who people enjoy talking or listening to. A person who has reached a high position in society by making relationships with important people.
Citations
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/WYDJ.html
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/time100/
