The Art of People

“You know, the ultimate paradox is that the secret to getting everything you want at work and in life is treating people well, not trying to get everything you want. Meet the right people, listen well, connect and inspire them, and they’ll want to give you everything that you want. They’ll want to do this so badly, you won’t even need to ask!”

Whether you’re speaking to an audience of three thousand, three hundred, thirty, or three, if your hope is to inspire them, your material and delivery have to be about them and how they can grow, not about you.

The bottom line is that like it or not, people don’t really care about you, certainly not the way they care about themselves, their families, and their close friends. Think about it: You’re reading this book so that you can improve your communication and people skills, but you don’t really care about me, Dave, except for how I can help you. And that’s okay!

“Remember,” he said. “It’s all about them, not you. Inspiring your audience is all about helping them see their own vision, not yours.”

“I’m a student, just like you. I’ve just been learning this stuff a little bit longer than you’ve been.”

“It’s not my job to teach you. It’s your job to learn. I’m just here to coach you along the way,”

You’re going to be judged by people no matter what, so just be your authentic self and stand behind that authenticity no matter what people may say.

“If I were you, I’d really want X to happen. What do you want to happen?”

Listen to understand, authentically try to connect deeply with people, help them feel less lonely, and you will find yourself far more able to influence them.

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”