You Have More Influence Than You Think
In the journey of leadership, many emerging leaders wrestle with a paralyzing thought that they are easily ignored; their ideas carry little weight, and their attempts to motivate others are ineffective. They feel invisible. They spend valuable energy seeking tools to gain influence. According to social psychologist Vanessa Bohns, the truth is far simpler (and far more empowering).
Bohns’ groundbreaking book, You Have More Influence Than You Think, serves as a catalyst, asserting that we consistently and dramatically underestimate the power our mere presence holds over others. This is because we are all wearing what she calls the “invisibility cloak illusion”.
When you approach a colleague or team member with a request, you are focused on your own anxiety and the high cost of rejection, no matter how small the request is. Your colleague, however, is intensely focused on the social pressure to comply with the request.
What if I told you that, in repeated studies, people were consistently twice as likely to say "yes" to a request than the person asking predicted? Bohns doesn't just present this finding; she explains the psychology behind why this compliance happens and why our intuition fails every time. Understanding this gap is the single most important lesson for an emerging leader.
You Have More Influence Than You Think is the definitive framework for moving past assumptions and building a leadership style rooted in awareness. Are you ready to come out from under the “invisible cloak” and to learn the practical, science-based methods Bohns provides to test and correct your self-perception, proving once and for all that you are not invisible? Do you want to know the simple language shifts that actively create an environment where dissent is welcomed? Pick up this book to unlock the powerful, often-overlooked influence you already possess.
