Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini (Review)
Originally Published in the Kansas Government Journal – July 2023.
Shortly before starting at the League, a friend of mine recommended I read Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini. I strongly prefer history over most every other genre, but my friend has never led me astray with a book recommendation. His guidance proved worthwhile once again, and I tucked away the thought that it might be worthwhile to read the book with my team once I started my tenure.
The content of Influence is certainly worthwhile—particularly as the staff looks for ways to effectively serve our cities. The book analyzes several studies in an accessible manner, largely focusing on the ways people interact. Cialdini also describes the different ways we communicate and the societal expectations that affect people’s makeup.
A prevailing theme of the book is how extraordinarily complicated our world is and how the endless streams of information often push people into processing the information with shortcuts. Cialdini maintains that we cannot possibly recognize and analyze all aspects of each person, event, and situation we encounter. We subsequently lean into analytical tools to help us classify information.
While I could easily turn this column into a mere book review, I’d like to springboard off an idea that Cialdini explored for application to city leaders. Influence emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, and Cialdini maintains that we should do more than simply resort to default analysis when we face complicated situations.
One key method for equipping ourselves in the midst of complexity is an old idea that I encouraged the League’s staff (though only to those who were interested) to embrace: reading. Years ago, I devoured Jean Edward Smith’s great biography, Eisenhower in War and Peace. It stood out to me that the future president was a somewhat unremarkable student at West Point, but his career meaningfully accelerated under the tutelage of General Fox Conner, who encouraged Eisenhower to become a student of history:
Conner had an extraordinary library…which he made available to Eisenhower. Starting with historical novels, he drew Ike into more serious works of history. Eisenhower studied the Civil War, followed Napoleon’s campaigns, and familiarized himself with Frederick the Great’s victories. From there he moved to the classics: Tacitus, Plato, and Shakespeare.[1]
Eisenhower spent this time with Conner while stationed in Panama, which he later called the most interesting and constructive time of his life. [2] While Conner’s mentorship was critical to Eisenhower’s development, it was lockstep with the reading that he did along the way.
Such a result should not surprise us. Advice on the virtue of reading has existed back to ancient times, and modern research affirms the idea. Some of the virtues of reading include:
Improving cognitive function as we age;[3]
Strengthening mental-processing networks;[4]
Reducing stress;[5] and
Enhancing communication skills.[6]
While not every position within a city requires problem solving and communication in a stressful environment, there are certainly plenty that do. It is easy to be swept up in the day-to-day activities without setting aside time consider how effectively work is going. It can be hard to take time during the day to read, think, and plan. Yet doing so not only helps with overarching skills but also helps with the execution of our day-to-day activities.
As we navigate the complexities of serving, Robert Cialdini’s Influence reminds us of the importance of critical thinking and equipping ourselves with the tools necessary to make thoughtful decisions. Regardless of which technologies emerge, the age-old practice of reading still holds tremendous power. In the same way that Eisenhower’s reading regimen shaped the future president’s capacity as a wise and able leader, we should similarly follow the path that he walked.
The benefits of reading are abundant and can greatly improve our capacity to face the problem-solving challenges we face. By carving out time for reading, thinking, and planning, we not only strengthen our overarching skills but also enhance the execution of our day-to-day activities. Reading may not always lead to far-reaching influence as described in Cialdini’s book, but it can be a catalyst for personal and professional growth to help us lead with wisdom and effectiveness.
Sources
[1] Smith, Jean Edward. Eisenhower in War and Peace. New York: Random House, 2012.
[2] Id.
[3] Uchida, Shinya, and Ryuta Kawashima. “Reading and solving arithmetic problems improves cognitive functions of normal aged people: a randomized controlled study.” Age (Dordrecht, Netherlands) vol. 30,1 (2008). Available at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2276592/.
[4] Berns, Gregory S et al. “Short- and long-term effects of a novel on connectivity in the brain.” Brain connectivity vol. 3,6 (2013): 590-600. Available at: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3868356/.
[5] Rizzolo, Denise & Zipp, Genevieve & Simpkins, Susan & Stiskal, Doreen. (2009). Stress Management Strategies For Students: The Immediate Effects Of Yoga, Humor, And Reading On Stress. Journal of College Teaching and Learning, 79-88. Available at: www.researchgate.net/publication/229431397_Stress_Management_Strategies_For_Students_The_Immediate_Effects_Of_Yoga_Humor_And_Reading_On_Stress.
[6] Mart, Cagri Tugrul. “Developing Speaking Skills through Reading.” International Journal of English Linguistics. (2012). Available at: www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ijel/article/view/22597.
