Influencing: Connecting the Dots

Ever wonder why economics was boring in college or high school?

It's because we didn't have Professor Steven D. Levitt as our economics professor. Levitt along with his co-author Stephen J. Dubner have given us the New York Times Bestseller Freakonomics.

Levitt has a real talent for asking interesting questions. I mean who would think to ask "If drug dealers make so much money, why do they still life with their mothers?" or "Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool?'

What is this Freakonomics? It's Levitt's way of explaining how people get what they want. He is able to tell a story while measuring an effect that seems unmeasurable by most people.

What better way to influence someone and get what you need accomplished than by asking interesting questions, gathering your data and presenting it with a story that compels the listener to take notice and act on your information?

All data tells a story. The use of data is the number one tactic to influence someone so Freakonomics should be on your Fall reading list if you didn't get to read it this summer. http://freakonomics.com

Enjoy.

Barb, The Leadership Lady