Adding Value Through Light Touches
Introduce, inform, invite, appreciate — stay in someone's orbit without getting in their face.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 80%
This is Lederman's tactical repertoire for enacting the generous-spirit mindset. Adding value takes many forms — introductions, information, invitations, appreciation, recognition, engagement — with introductions singled out as one of the greatest. For introductions she endorses the double opt-in: ask both parties before connecting them, especially when one is higher-status. Light touches (a note, tweet, text, like, comment or share) keep you in someone's orbit without asking for anything, and the trick is to capture a name the instant a person pops into your mind rather than letting the thought float away. When a relationship has gone stale, she reconnects by naming it directly with subject lines like 'it's been too long.'
Origin
Lederman and host Hala Taha trade tactics they use in practice — Taha's double opt-in intro learned from Jordan Harbinger, Lederman's business-card 'graveyard' and 'it's been too long' subject line — as concrete ways to live the generous-spirit mindset.
Core principles
- 01The generous spirit shows up as constantly finding ways to add value.
- 02Introductions are one of the greatest ways to add value.
- 03Light touches keep you in someone's mind without asking for anything.
- 04Acknowledge the elephant in the room when a connection has gone stale.
How to run it
- 1
Lead with 'how can I help?'
In conversations, ask what the person is working on, how you can help, and who they want to know — and have your own answer ready too.
- 2
Make double opt-in introductions
Before connecting two people, ask each one separately if they're open to the intro, then introduce them over email.
Pro tip Once you have a reputation, equal-status intros may not need permission — but always get it at the higher level of an unequal intro.
Watch out Never give away a celebrity's or influencer's email without asking first.
- 3
Capture the name when it pops up
When someone floats into your mind, write their name into your calendar or notes before the thought disappears.
- 4
Send a light touch
Reach out with a quick note, tweet, text, like, comment or share — 'you just popped up in my feed, checking in' — that requires nothing of them.
- 5
Revive stale ties by naming it
For connections that have gone cold, acknowledge the gap directly with subject lines like 'it's been too long' or 'I just found your business card.'
Pro tip Scroll to the bottom of your texts or emails to find people you haven't spoken to in a while and refresh those connections.
In the wild
Taha, on first meeting someone, thinks about who in her network can solve their problem, then uses a double opt-in intro — asking both sides before connecting them over email.
→ She adds value to a new contact while warming an existing one, giving without any expertise of her own.
Lederman kept a 'graveyard' of piled-up business cards; going through them she'd rediscover forgotten people and reach out with 'I just found your business card on my desk.'
→ The honest, low-pressure subject line reopened dormant connections without awkwardness.
Common mistakes
Introducing people without permission
Connecting two people — especially exposing a high-status person's email — without a double opt-in risks embarrassing everyone and damaging your standing.
Letting a name float away
When someone pops into your mind and you don't capture it, the moment of curiosity passes and the reconnection never happens.
Is it for you?
Best for
Networkers and relationship-builders who want to nurture a large network without being pushy.
Not ideal for
People uncomfortable with any proactive outreach or who prefer purely inbound relationships.
From the transcript
“introductions love that's one of the greatest ways to add value information invitations appreciation recognition engagement”
“my favorite subject line of an email is it's been too long just acknowledge... we acknowledge the elephant in the room”
From the episode
Michelle Tillis Lederman: Creating Connection, How to Build Strong Relationships in the Networking Age
Michelle Tillis Lederman