I’ve titled this week’s Tuesday Reading “Real Influence” from the title of Mark Goulston and John Ullmen’s book “Real Influence: Persuade Without Pushing and Gain Without Giving In.” Goulston is a business psychiatrist, executive coach and cofounder of Heartfelt Leadership. Ullmen oversees the website MotivationRules.com and teaches at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. This reading is drawn from four HBR blog posts from the two authors.
A part of the research for their book “Real Influence,” Goulston and Ullmen interviewed individuals who were known for getting things done. One of the questions they asked was “Who persuaded you to do something really important?” The answer was “Nobody.” Probing further they asked: “Who influenced you to become the person you are?” From the answers they got to this question, they identified four steps toward becoming a strong influencer.
Focusing on a great outcome and listening beyond your blind spots are the first two of Goulston and Ullmen’s four steps to becoming a strong influencer. Take time this week to put these two tools into practice.
. . . . jim
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