The best books for people who want to build more influence for their best ideas–starting today

Robert Cialdini is the original expert in the fields of influence and persuasion. A true thought leader himself, Cialdini has distilled his 35 years of research into a set of Universal Principles of Influence that can guide each of us in how to win others over to our side and actually get people to say yes and make changes personally.

I appreciate that his book is highly readable, and he brings himself into the story right from the get-go. Why did he start researching compliance? Because he thought of himself as a ‘patsy,’ someone who was always being persuaded to buy the magazine subscription or donate to the latest cause. He wanted to understand why he said yes, and in turn, why others do or do not say yes in the same situations.

If we want to build influence, we must start there…understanding what gets people to say yes to our ideas. 

I had the privilege of teaching a class together with JD Schramm at Stanford Business School, where he was a longtime instructor and pioneered some groundbreaking classes and programs. Schramm is without a doubt one of the most effective communicators that I have ever met. He is also a great teacher. 

In this book, Schramm brings together a wide variety of frameworks and tools for leadership communication that he taught at Stanford, and he addresses some of the biggest challenges that business leaders face when speaking and writing to influence their most important audiences. He distills what it takes to journey from uncertainty to competence, to expertise, and ultimately to mastery, and along the way, he invites us to think deeply about our audience and the intention behind our communications.

If you follow his step-by-step guide, I can assure you that you’ll be more confident and more effective in any communication you undertake.

So many of us, when we’re starting out, don’t think of ourselves as movement starters. We just want to get others on board to help us make a change at our school, in our neighborhood, or on our team. We often don’t see ourselves as leaders; instead, we are hoping to find a community with a shared perspective or explore the possibility of making things just a little bit better. But how do we get started, and how do we scale what’s working? 

My friend, Jennifer Dulski, was the head of Groups at Facebook and the former president of Change.org, and her book is all about how we can each play a role in sparking change, whether we’re trying to bring about change in our company, community group, college, or in a startup.

Dulski offers practical techniques based on real-life experience. She gives wonderful and varied examples that remind us that we can all be effective change agents as long as we are willing to take the first steps, do our best to avoid the haters, and shape a positive view of the future. 

I think of Dorie Clark’s book as a companion book to mine. If you like my book, it’s likely that you’ll also get a lot of value out of reading hers. In this book, Clark focuses on helping people discover their breakthrough idea, a step that I think of as a prequel to the steps I outline for becoming a thought leader. She goes deep on the concept of the “Big Idea,” sharing some of the pathways that others have taken to distill a unique perspective or innovative differentiator that allows them to stand out. 

As I do in my book, Clark then shares her perspective on building an audience for your ideas, effectively communicating your message, and inspiring others to embrace your vision. Both books also focus on dealing with naysayers and what it takes to truly scale big ideas and create a movement that makes substantial change in your field or industry.

One area Clark covers that I don’t is what it takes to make a living as a thought leader, including the time required and how to shift from being a do-er to a recognized expert. I found this a helpful framework for those ready to make the shift.

Like all of Seth Godin’s books, this one is crammed full of examples of people who you want to get to know because they have done something truly great. He shares the story of the Grateful Dead, who transformed music and concerts; the head of the Acumen Fund, who transformed philanthropy; and a guy named Joel Spolsky, who created a job board that attracted the most talented programmers in the world. He draws you into these leaders’ stories and then shows you how you can be just like any one of them. 

So, what is a tribe? In Godin’s definition, a tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. He posits that all a group needs to be a tribe is a shared interest and a way to communicate. He also argues that you can’t have a tribe without a leader, and you can’t be a leader without a tribe. Then, in a series of short chapters full of great stories, he gives the tools and tactics to get started building your own.