The hardest concept to grapple with in my career was "Influence without authority". Thanks to Robert Cialdini, I understood the principles of influence (with and without authority).
Here are 10 key lessons from his book Influence:
Reciprocity: People tend to return to favours, making it a powerful tool for influence.
Commitment and Consistency: We're driven to remain consistent with our past actions.
Social Proof: We look to others to guide our behaviours, especially in uncertain situations.
Liking: We're most easily influenced by people we like or find similar to ourselves.
Authority: We tend to obey authority figures, even if asked to perform objectionable acts.
Scarcity: Opportunities seem more valuable when they're limited or dwindling in availability.
Unity: We are influenced by shared identities and sense of being "in it together"
Pre-suasion: The moment before it is delivered is crucial for its reception.
Contrast principle: How something is presented can affect our perception of it.
Ethical Use: Understanding these principles comes with the responsibility of using them ethically.
In summary: Be nice to people. Keep Giving even when they don't ask. Take up large commitments and deliver. Build credibility and authority. Articulate things in a relatable fashion. Use comparison as our brains are wired that way. Build context. Design your environment before you deliver a message. You need to set the mood for your message. Build belonging. The more we are together, we get to do things that are monumental. Use scarcity to your advantage. Influence is powerful, so use it ethically. You can borderline manipulation very easily.
These insights can transform how we can approach persuasion in design, leadership and storytelling. LinkedIn did not allow me to add actionable insights under each principles in the name of word limit. Tomorrow I'll share those as it will make it more real with examples and stories.
What aspects of influence intrigue you most?
