Book Profile: "Influencer: The Power to Change Anything" by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield and Al Switzer and Ron McMillan

I recently read the book "Influencer: The Power to Change Anything" by Ron McMillan, Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield and Al Switzer. I found it to be a very powerful and practical book about influencing people, and a book I am sure I will refer to again many times in the years to come.

In this month's Book Profile, I want to share my thoughts about this insightful book, just as I did with "The Dip" last month. This month, I have an added bonus for you. I recently had the opportunity to interview one of the book's authors, Ron McMillan, and I'm glad to share some of the highlights of our interview with you.

If you hope to make a difference in any aspect of your life -- in business, in your family and personal life, in your community or even if your goal is to literally change the world -- this is an important book for you to read. "Influencer" doesn't just show you how to get started; it also gives you a roadmap showing readers how to influence people, communities and the planet. That's why "Influencer" is so effective. The book's authors use real life examples that show how individuals and groups of people successfully bringing about change in a variety of ways - from helping ex-cons to change their lives, to stemming the spread of AIDS in Thailand, to helping YMCA lifeguards reduce the number of drowning incidents. The authors of this book talk extensively to the world's most successful "influencers" (the people that made it happen), studied their methods and show the data and statistics that demonstrate how these influencers not only influenced the people around them but also how they changed things that many people never thought could be changed or had proven resistant to change in the past. As author Ron McMillan says, "We wanted to give examples that were backed-up by data, not anecdotal information."


Highlights of Bill Cawley's Interview with Ron McMillan

Bill Cawley: Why did you write the book? What did you hope to see happen?
Ron McMillan: We started out looking at organizations to see how we could help them change things for the better, but then it turned into "Let's show how we can change the world!"

BC: What would you say to people who think they can't influence people, especially on a large scale?
RM: Anyone can influence anything, they can take on big things. Focus on what you can impact. Start small.

BC: How? What are the three things you would tell a potential influencer to do to get started?
RM: First, define the results you want to see. Be very specific about what you want to be different.

Second, ask "What are the 'vital behaviors' you want to see change? Maybe you want to get yourself to stop reaching for another cigarette, or stop being so sarcastic in speaking to a loved one.

Third, you can't expect to change people's minds only with words. Verbal persuasion, explaining to people why they should change their behavior, isn't enough. They need to experience a feeling of certainty that the change can happen and it will be worth it. For example, in the workplace you can put an employee on a high performing team for a few weeks to prove that it can be done and it's worth it. When they can see it and feel it, that makes the difference.

Also, you can put into play the "Six Sources of Influence." (You will have to read the book to learn about these principles.)

BC: What about the resisters? How do you influence the people who won't change?
RM: There will always be resisters. You just have to work hard to influence as many people as possible. However, there will always be a group of people (10 to 20 percent of the total) who won't really change. You have to either give them incentives, or punish them to get in or get out. You have to be careful not to drain your energy and influence on that group. Don't let your momentum lose steam because you are trying to get that last small group to change.

BC: Now that we have talked about the resisters, let's talk about who you need to get on the team.
RM: Two of the key groups you need to get onboard for successful change are the innovators and the early adopters. You want the innovators because they can bring attention and energy to get you started. They are fairly easy to influence because they like to try new things and are poised to change. You have to be careful, however. They may not stay around if another new and exciting idea is presented to them. The really key group is the early adopters. They are harder to influence because they want reason and logic before they get in and, most importantly, before they bring others in. The fact that they are respected and admired means that these people wield a large amount of influence over people, so they are very important. For this reason, these people are the opinion leaders. Look around for these people and focus in on them.

BC: I speak a lot about goal setting in my speeches and coaching work. What role does it play in being able to influence?
RM: You need to clearly define the problem and the result you are looking for. You want to also set intermediary goals, especially with large issues. For example, in a number of African nations, there was a call to rid the earth of a parasite called the Guinea worm, which can grow up to 3 feet in length while inside the person's body- nice eh. If the Guinea worm could be eradicated, it would improve the lives of 120 million people in 23,000 African villages. So that's a pretty big goal, right? The people who sought to bring about this change said, "Let's start in Kenya, then Namibia," and so on. Ultimately, it will be gone from this planet. It's also important to measure everything as you work through each step. Finally, it's important to establish a reward system along the way. This will help create or keep momentum going.

McMillan also made two additional points that were not specific questions, but important to share.

Successful influences share many similar characteristics, but the one that is common to all of them is that they set very clear goals. They knew and stated exactly what they wanted to accomplish in very specific terms and made it as simple to understand as possible.

It is also important to remember that you don't have to be the only influencer. Let others influence people as well. (And enlist the help of many kinds of people, not just the early adopters.) Take some of the pressure off yourself. It doesn't rest all on you.

I will admit that I was a little skeptical when I picked up this book. I thought that the authors were making some pretty bold claims, but I am happy to report that it really does deliver. "Influencer" does something that I think is so important. It shows you (the reader) how to be an influencer yourself. The book gives a wonderful set of examples of many different kinds of successful and effective change, and describes a variety of real life strategies that have worked all over the world. It shows you the people you need and those you don't need for effective change. Most importantly, the book shows you how to influence the people, you do need to join your effort. It shows you how to handle the inevitable setbacks and how to push on. Lastly, the book is realistic in acknowledging how difficult it is to make important changes in our own lives and certainly on a large scale.

In my opinion, one of the most important points the authors make in "Influencer" is that to truly influence people you need to change people's behaviors, and I think most people would agree that isn't easy. Another important principle described in the book is that it is crucial to show people that they can achieve whatever the goal may be and that it will be worth it. Again, this is not easy to do but this book goes a long way in showing and telling readers how to do just that.

As I said, I was a little skeptical about the authors' claims at first but "Influencer" influenced me enough to remind me that anything can be accomplished. The book inspires its readers through the skillful use of numerous very poignant examples. It also influences people through the use of facts and results, not anecdotes -- a winning combination, in my opinion. I believe this book will prove to you (or remind you) that you have the ability to influence the people, community and world around you.

I also highly recommend another book by the same authors -- "Crucial Conversations". I am reading this book now, and I find that it applies some of the same principles featured in "Influencers" to another important part of our professional and personal lives - our crucial conversations.