Yesterday I told you about Mikail in Indonesia, who chose to "take the steering wheel" rather than jump ship when TGS didn't hit its top 10 ranking goals.

Today: how his institutional door-opening strategy transformed his practice and the network's credibility in a key market.

You know the challenge. Your network has global ambitions but problems with local visibility. If key institutions in major markets don't recognise your brand, you're just another accounting firm making grand claims.

Mikail eliminated the credibility gap.

The Singapore breakthrough

When TGS planned its recent Singapore conference, he saw an opportunity.

In Asia, where companies seek listings on the Singapore Stock Exchange for international credibility, Mikail saw that developing a relationship with the exchange could significantly increase client advisory work.

"You're not an accounting network if the stock exchange doesn't know you!” So he decided to reach out.

It’s worth stopping to think about what might have happened if Mikail had approached the stock exchange on behalf of his own firm alone.

"If you go to this kind of exchange or institution without having the name of the bigger network you would not be welcome. But when you have an organisation like TGS behind you, that opens the door."

Naturally, he first notified TGS HQ of his plan - they might have had useful ideas to add. Then he reached out to the Singapore exchange.

“We explained that we want to know how our clients can list there.”

The approach worked. TGS leadership were welcomed.

Of course, this was about more than photo opportunities, but Mikail is keen to stress that “having our photos taken there is useful. It says to clients, ‘we can help’”.

The photos and relationships became what Mikail calls "1000% bullets and weapons for you”.

So: institutional credibility works both ways. TGS membership opened doors for Mikail’s firm, but his institutional relationships also elevated the credibility of TGS across the region.

The entrepreneurial mindset

For Mikail, network membership is part of a larger business philosophy: "Accountancy is good because you need to understand the numbers. But accountancy is [only] my education. I am an entrepreneur."

This larger, entrepreneurial approach extends to how he views TGS itself: "TGS is an organisation that should spark ideas, a catalyst."

Another example: he’s absorbed currently in taking a product he learned about through his business connections and white-labelling it to deliver strategic insights to clients of all TGS member firms. It could be hugely valuable, he says.

Looking back to his initial concerns - outlined in yesterday’s email - about TGS not growing fast enough as a network, Mikail offers a different insight.

"Ranking is only about numbers, revenue... You can't measure quality by seeing only revenue. We are not talking only about numbers. If our perspective is only about numbers then we can lose our moral compass. TGS is also about integrity."

The lessons

The Mikail Method:

• Identify institutional gaps rather than just market gaps

• Use network credibility to open doors that benefit everyone

• Transform individual relationships into network assets

• Think entrepreneurially about network membership

For Network Leadership:

• Take initiative on institutional relationships

• Share institutional access with other members

• Think beyond referrals to broader business development

• Position values and vision above rankings and revenue

Closing

Today, Mikail's firm is several times bigger than when he first brought it into TGS. No longer mostly receiving referrals it now sends referrals throughout Asia. Mikail’s decision to grab the steering wheel rather than jump ship looks inspired.

The question isn't whether Mikail's institutional approach works. It's whether you're building the institutional credibility your network needs to achieve its ambitions.

What doors could you be opening for the whole TGS network?