Riding the Coattails of Others - MAC117

Do you ever look around your company and notice how certain people always seem to rise together? The boss gets promoted... and like clockwork, a couple of people from their team move up right behind them. You start to wonder... are they just that good? Or are they someone's favorite? Today, we're going to unpack that idea—not the shady version, but the strategic one. How do you find the right person to align with... the kind of person whose rising tide actually lifts your boat, too? Cronyism gets a bad reputation, but that's when it's paired with incompetence or favoritism without merit. The truth is, every successful career has an element of strategic alignment. It's about connecting yourself with the right leader, building trust through results, and positioning yourself as someone they want to bring along when they rise. So today, I'd like to talk about how to identify whose coattails are worth riding... and how to make sure you've earned your place on that ride. The Reality of Relationships in Corporate Advancement I've long said that building a network is the single most important thing you can do for your career. Your skills will get you in the door, but your relationships determine how far you go once you're inside. Promotions, high-visibility projects, cross-functional opportunities—they rarely appear out of thin air. They come through people. Your network is the radar that picks up opportunities before they hit the job board. There's an old quote from Seneca that I love: "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." The preparation part is obvious; we all know we have to deliver results, build credibility, and sharpen our skills. But opportunity? That's the piece most people overlook. Opportunity doesn't just fall in your lap—it's usually handed to you by someone who knows your name, trusts your work, and believes in your potential. That's why I say the first step in becoming someone's "crony"—in the best sense of the word—is to build that relationship before you need it. Get on their radar by doing good work. Add value without asking for anything in return. Be the person they can depend on when things get hectic. When the time comes for them to move up or take on a new challenge, you'll already be positioned as part of their trusted circle. In corporate life, advancement is rarely a solo sport. It's a team game—and if you're not intentionally building the right team around you, someone else is. What "Strategic Alignment" Actually Looks Like Let's start by defining a few terms. The word crony has become shorthand for favoritism, backroom deals, and people getting ahead for all the wrong reasons. But at its root, a crony is simply someone who's connected to power. That connection, in and of itself, isn't bad. It's how the connection is earned that determines whether you're a crony... or a strategically aligned professional. Strategic alignment is what happens when your goals, values, and performance directly support the success of someone higher up in the organization. You're not just orbiting power; you're contributing to it. You're part of a symbiotic relationship where your wins make their job easier, their projects stronger, and their vision more achievable. So how do you know which side of the line you're on? Ask yourself three simple questions: Do you help this person win in a way that also helps the team? Cronyism isolates—it creates winners and losers. Strategic alignment lifts everyone around you. If the person you're supporting becomes more effective because of your input, and the team benefits in the process, that's a healthy dynamic. Do you bring something to the table they need—insight, relationships, execution? The strongest professional relationships are built on mutual value. If you offer something that fills a gap or accelerates progress, you're not tagging along... you're indispensable to the mission. Are you seen as loyal and competent? Loyalty without competence is flattery. Competence without loyalty is risk. The combination is trust—and trust is the foundation of every meaningful professional alliance. If the answer to all three is yes, you're not a crony—you're a trusted asset. You've built a relationship based on performance, reliability, and shared success. But if any of those answers are no... then yes, you might just be a crony. And cronies don't get invited to the next level; they get replaced when it's convenient. Strategic alignment is about playing the long game. It's about being so valuable, so dependable, and so in sync with where your leader is heading that they can't imagine building the next chapter without you in it. How to Identify the Right Person to Align With Now that we've defined what strategic alignment looks like, the next question is... who should you align with? Not every rising star is worth following, and not every ...