Discovering the Influence You Already Have
Summer is a great time to dive into books that challenge conventional thinking, spark innovation, and deepen understanding of the ever-changing business landscape for leaders. This series features some of the newest titles by faculty and alumni. For more recommended reading, check out the books on Dean Andrew Karolyi’s shelf.
We often don’t realize how much sway we have over others, says Vanessa Bohns in her book You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters (Norton 2021). The book, selected as the Dyson School’s Summer Read 2025, invites readers to reconsider everyday interactions: asking for help from friends, giving feedback at work, making a request of a stranger.
Through original research and real-world examples, Bohns shows how people are more likely to listen, agree, and help than we tend to assume—and how our failure to recognize that influence can lead to missed opportunities or unintended consequences.
“Our first big mistake is talking ourselves out of trying before we even begin or negotiating ourselves down before we even begin the negotiation because we underestimate ourselves,” says Bohns, Braunstein Family Professor in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR School) at Cornell. “We have plenty of influence already—we’re just not using it the right way.”
Bohns’s insights are especially relevant in business contexts, where collaboration, leadership, and communication are central. Bohns says people are more willing to help than we think—but we often hesitate to ask, fearing rejection or judgment. Her research suggests that direct, respectful requests are not only more effective than we expect, but also welcomed more often than not.
“Readers have told me about getting sellers to negotiate on things they didn’t think were negotiable or receiving incredibly helpful, lengthy responses when they’ve asked busy people for advice,” she says. “It makes me so happy to see how these ideas have helped people out in these practical ways.”
Understanding our capacity to influence others is especially important in professional settings, where collaboration, leadership, and communication are central. But context matters. In face-to-face settings, she says, we benefit from built-in trust and attention, whereas in virtual communication, we have to work harder to establish credibility and connection.
“The best way to ask for help is to ask directly,” she says. “Don’t beat around the bush. Ask in person, not over email. It’s much more effective to ask that way.”
She points out that sending emails after hours—often meant as harmless or efficient—can unintentionally influence colleagues and making them feel obligated to respond, contributing to burnout. Instead, she suggests being explicit when a message isn’t urgent.
The Dyson undergraduate experience committee and the Dyson School’s dean, Jinhua Zhao, selected the title for this year’s Summer Read, and Bohns will participate in the 2025 Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series.
David Lennox, who was director of undergraduate studies at the Dyson School when the book was chosen, reflected: “I thought this book was going to be about how we can influence the behavior of others. It is, but the first surprise inside was how much we already influence others—without really trying—and how willing other people are to fulfill our requests, large and small. These insights have much to teach us as we work and lead collaboratively at Dyson and beyond.”
Bohns spoke about the research underpinning this book at a Cornell University Library event:
