I get a lot of emails from people asking me about the psychology of persuasion. Learning about the ways people (honestly and dishonestly) influence you is one of the best things to learn early in life. But it's never too late. The go to book on the psychology of persuasion is Robert Cialdini's Influence.
This post is part of TED's "How to Be a Better Human" series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from someone in the TED community; browse through all the posts here. Most of us get fooled or conned on a regular basis.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. "How can I inspire others to follow my lead?" Aspiring influencers have wrestled with this question since the beginning of time, and those who emerged and ultimately became legendary leaders did so because they were willing to learn from the very best.
Influence is the power and the ability to personally affect others' actions, decisions, opinions, or thinking. Ultimately, influence allows you to get things done and achieve desired outcomes. At a basic level, influence is about compliance - getting someone to do what you want them to do (or at least not to undermine it).