Communication and Influence in Business Relationships

It is self-evident that communication is an important element of relationships, but the presence of influence may at first sight appear a little unexpected. Usually, that is something we do to others if we are successful, but not something which others do to us. The...

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Trust and Credibility in Business Relationships

These two words go hand in hand. If you think someone is credible – for whatever reason – you are likely to trust them. Credibility is the culmination of a wide range of factors which build the overall impression in the mind of the observer, including qualifications,...

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How to Influence People You Don’t Like

Nobody says that you have to like everyone. That is as unrealistic as saying you can always influence others. You can't. But if you want to influence people, it helps enormously if they like you. People tend to like people who like them. This creates an immediate...

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Decoding and Resolving Personality Conflicts

When we were doing the original research which led to the creation of the Influence Profile back in 2005, I don't think we realised just how powerful it was going to be in helping people to understand personality conflicts. Not only does it explain why personality...

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Do Influential Leaders Need to Be Visionary?

No, I don't believe they do, but it definitely helps. Leadership books nearly all tell you that successful leaders are those with vision. They cite it as critical to being influential. Their argument is convincing. They say that you need to be visionary because… You...

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How to Be a Leader: Vital First Steps

Hey, congratulations, you’ve made it. Now you are a leader, how does it feel? Exciting, a little daunting? Maybe you have been around a little while and are still feeling rather unprepared for the leadership task ahead. Then again, perhaps you have just landed a job...

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