Compelling People
The Hidden Qualities That Make Us Influential
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- 42,00 kr
Publisher Description
'This is not just another pop-psych book: it's the first book to capture and share the insights from all the recent groundbreaking research on how we judge and persuade each other. And it translates that into simple, practical terms anyone can use to build more effective relationships at the office or home' Amy Cuddy
HOW PEOPLE JUDGE YOU - AND HOW TO COME OUT LOOKING GOOD
Everyone wants to know how to be more influential. But most of us don't really think we can have the kind of magnetism or charisma that we associate with someone like Bill Clinton or Oprah Winfrey unless it comes naturally.
In Compelling People - now required reading at Harvard Business School - John Neffinger and Matthew Kohut show that this isn't something we have to be born with, it's something we can learn. They trace the path to influence through a balance of strength and warmth. Each seems simple, but only a few of us figure out the tricky task of projecting both at once.
Drawing on cutting-edge social science research as well as their own work with Fortune 500 executives, members of Congress, TED speakers and Nobel Prize winners, Compelling People explains how we size each other up - and how we can learn to win the admiration, respect, and affection we desire.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When people look at us, what are they seeing? Most of us don't realize what signals we're sending, or how, and on what, people are judging us. Neffinger and Kohut, communications strategists and presentation coaches who met writing speeches and editing articles for Harvard faculty, posit that initial character judgments are based on two traits: strength and warmth. As they write, "We live most fully when we cultivate both in our lives, when we balance a high degree of individual capability with an unflagging regard for the needs and interests of others." Strength is the Ayn Randian show of will and power, and warmth is the Beatles-esque emanation of love and charm. The trick is in figuring out when to project which, and in what balance. The authors address the elements that affect how we make judgments, including gender, age, race, sexual orientation, posture and body language, style, leadership qualities, and workplace behavior. While their points are arguably true, the meandering, storytelling tone (it's notable that there's an epilogue, rather than a conclusion) doesn't do their theory any favors. They've stretched an article's worth of material over a full book.
