Why Your Underground Network Matters

Have you ever seen that post from someone and thought, "Wow, those people are really making it"?

As a high performer, you are questioning yourself and wondering, "Why can't I get to where they are? Why am I not as successful as they are?"

That was just what came to my mind as I started reading The Hidden Value — How to Reveal the Impact of Organizational Learning by Dr. Keith Keating. In his book, he uses the image of the Kapok tree, which appears as the centerpiece of the Amazon. While on the surface it looks dominant and powerful, underneath it is massively supported by extensive root networks and a web of underground fungi. He uses this image to depict how learning creates both visible achievements and hidden foundations.

The Kapok tree — dominant on the surface, extraordinary underneath.

If you are a high performer who is at a career crossroads and wondering if your current position is serving you well, or you are frustrated because you feel that your value is not being heard, and you know you have more to give, you may be wondering what the Kapok tree has to do with you. Well, it has everything to do with you. Just like the Kapok tree, you may be showing up every day, putting in the work, and still wondering why you are not breaking through. The answer is rarely about working harder. It is about what you are or are not building underneath.

In my work with high performers at career crossroads, I see this consistently: they are so consumed by the day-to-day that they have stopped building their underground infrastructure. Some never started. And that is where they get stuck.

Just like the Kapok tree, what sustains you in your career is rarely what is visible on the surface. It is the infrastructure you build underneath: your skills, your mindset, your relationships, the work that you put in, your support systems, and many other components. That is what I call your underground network. And unlike a quick connection or a coffee chat, this is not built in a day. It is built intentionally, over time, beneath the surface.

What sustains you is rarely what is visible

The people you see as successful are rarely self-made. What you are seeing is the tree. What you are not seeing is everything underneath that got them there.

As a career development coach, when I work with my clients, I am not only helping them change or land a job. I help them build what they need beneath the surface to succeed.

Building beneath the surface takes intention, not just effort.

What You Can Start Building Today

You may be wondering, 'Yes, Patricia, I get it, but where do I start?' Here are three tips that can help you start building your underground network today:

Tip 1: Become an Intentional Learner, Not Just a Busy One

Most high performers are working hard, and sometimes do not make time in their busyness to learn and grow. There is a difference between learning by accident and intentionally setting aside time focused on learning. I want you to ask yourself: what skill, if you developed it in the next 90 days, would make the biggest difference to where you want to go in your career? Then pursue it deliberately, be it through a course, a mentor, a stretch assignment, or a new experience. Industry research from McKinsey shows that learning itself is a skill, and professionals who master the mindsets of intentional learning grow faster than their peers, which opens more opportunities for them.

Tip 2: Build Your Network Before You Need It

Do not wait until you are job searching to connect with people. In my over two decades of experience working across sectors, proactively networking and consistently reaching out have gone a long way in helping me move forward. Research suggests that reaching out proactively and not reactively is one of the strongest predictors of career advancement. So, what could this look like in practical terms to you? It could mean one intentional outreach per week to someone, not to ask for anything, but simply to tend the roots. It could be as simple as sending a message to say you were thinking of someone, sharing an article that reminded you of a conversation, or asking how someone is doing. Every small step matters, as long as you stay consistent, so that your underground network grows.

Tip 3: Get Support to Navigate the Tangle

Sometimes, the reason you are stuck is not a lack of effort. When you are deep inside a career situation where you feel stuck, undervalued, and overlooked, it is incredibly difficult to see it clearly because of the frustration, exhaustion, and resentment that you may be carrying. In my work with clients navigating career transitions, I have seen that the shift happens when people stop trying to figure it all out alone and lean into the relationships and support systems around them: mentors, colleagues, coaches, and sponsors. That support is part of your underground network, too. So today, tap into your network in whatever form or shape is helpful to you.

As you reflect on this blog, which of these three tips, or it may even be something entirely different that came to your mind, will you begin to practice today?

Your success is not about doing it alone. It is about what you are building beneath the surface right now, today.

If you are a high performer at a career crossroads and want support building the infrastructure beneath your success, so that you can stop feeling stuck and overlooked and shift from quiet execution to visible influence, I'd love to connect. Reach out to me at patricia@nextdegreeconsulting.ca or book a free discovery call.