Leadership Library
People Skills

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Dale Carnegie · 1936

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About

The original, still-unbeaten guide to relationships, persuasion and genuine influence.

SK's perspective

Old but gold — the fundamentals of dealing with people never went out of date.

Key learnings

  • Don't criticise, condemn or complain.
  • Give honest, sincere appreciation.
  • Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
  • Make people feel important — sincerely.
  • The only way to win an argument is to avoid it.

Make it a ritual

Practise one people-principle a day until warmth becomes default.

Professional life

  • Give one specific, sincere appreciation to a colleague daily.
  • Enter meetings framing the other side's interest first.

Personal life

  • Use people's names and ask about their world before yours.
  • Skip winning one argument this week; keep the relationship instead.

Buy the book (Amazon) · curated talks on YouTube. — © Dale Carnegie. Summary is our own.

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