"Influence Is Your Superpower: How to Get What You Want Without Compromising Who You Are" by Zoe Chance explores influence as an inherent and ethical skill everyone can develop to create positive outcomes for themselves and others. As a Yale professor and behavioral scientist, Chance combines research and real-world examples to teach how influence works below the surface of conscious thought.
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Key Features
Influence is a natural human ability used instinctively from childhood, but cultural norms often suppress it. Ethical influence focuses on inspiration and collaboration, not manipulation.
Most decisions come from an intuitive "Gator Brain" driven by simplicity and efficiency, so clear and simple messaging resonates best.
The "power of asking" is underestimated; people agree to requests more often than assumed, especially when asked assertively and timed well.
How a message is framed—whether monumental, manageable, or mysterious—shapes perception and openness.
Handling resistance by acknowledging objections, requesting permission, and offering the option to decline builds trust and receptiveness.
Charisma arises from focusing on others, asking questions, and listening actively rather than self-promotion.
True influence is about collaboration with empathy rather than control, resulting in mutually beneficial results.