Zoe Chance, a Yale professor and bestselling author of "Influence Is Your Superpower," shares practical strategies for effective persuasion without pressure. She introduces her transformative 'magic question,' which fosters engagement and collaboration. Zoe emphasizes how empathy can build loyalty, encouraging leaders to communicate openly and respectfully. Additionally, she reveals common misconceptions about negotiation, asserting that kindness is strength, not weakness. Listeners will learn to enhance their influence and manage difficult conversations gracefully.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use The Magic Question
Ask the magic question, "What would it take?" to uncover what motivates others.
Use it to shift resistance into collaboration and get specific actionable insights.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Overtime Success Story
CEO's second-in-command asked employees what would make working overtime bearable.
They requested practical help like cab fares and a Christmas present wrapper, boosting morale and productivity.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Positive Change Through Questions
Instead of criticism, ask what it would take for someone to change their behavior positively.
This respects their autonomy and preserves the relationship better than strong arming.
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The Charisma Myth by Olivia Fox Cabane combines fun stories, sound science, and practical tools to explain how charisma can be learned and developed. Cabane breaks down charisma into its fundamental components, including presence, power, and warmth. The book describes four types of charisma: focus charisma, visionary charisma, kindness charisma, and explains how these qualities can be developed through specific behaviors and mental states. It emphasizes that charisma is not an innate quality but rather a skill that can be acquired through practice and the right mental approaches.
Influence Is Your Superpower
Zoe Chance
You don’t need pressure to persuade — you need the right question.
In this episode, Yale professor and bestselling author Zoe Chance joins Kwame Christian to share the most practical, science-backed influence strategies used by top leaders, negotiators, and communicators. You'll learn how to apply her signature "magic question" in real conversations, how unfair forgiveness can increase loyalty, and why most people misunderstand what real persuasion looks like.
Zoe also breaks down why kindness isn’t weakness, how to influence without manipulation, and what Hollywood gets completely wrong about negotiation. Whether you’re leading a team, managing conflict, or just trying to get through a difficult conversation, this episode will help you shift from force to connection — and become more influential in the process.
You’ll discover:
The 4-word question that changes everything
Why empathy builds more commitment than incentives
A reframe that helps you handle resistance with grace
The mistake most people make when trying to sound powerful
If you’ve ever struggled to be persuasive without losing yourself — this one’s for you.
Negotiate Anything 
