The Art of Influence

The Art of Influence Plot Summary

Introduction

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to effortlessly command attention and respect in any room they enter? Why certain individuals can persuade others to follow their vision while others struggle to have their ideas heard? In today's complex business landscape, technical skills and knowledge alone aren't enough to propel you to the heights of success. The missing ingredient that separates truly exceptional leaders from the merely competent is influence—the art of inspiring others to follow your lead willingly and enthusiastically. This profound exploration reveals that influence isn't about manipulative tactics or forceful persuasion. Rather, it's about who you are at your core. Through the journey of Marcus Drake, a bright business school graduate, and his unexpected mentorship with billionaire Bobby Gold, we discover that true influence stems from character rather than techniques. You'll learn how integrity forms the foundation of all meaningful business relationships, why a positive attitude attracts followers like nothing else, and how putting others' interests first paradoxically serves your own success. Most importantly, you'll understand that excellence isn't just a goal—it's a lifestyle that naturally draws others to your vision and leadership.

Chapter 1: The Power of Undivided Integrity in Business Decisions

Marcus Drake couldn't believe his luck. Thanks to his grandmother's surprising connection to billionaire Bobby Gold, he found himself sitting in a high-powered New York boardroom observing a potential fifty-million-dollar deal. As a fresh Northwestern business school graduate, this was the opportunity of a lifetime—watching one of America's wealthiest businessmen in action. The meeting seemed to be going well. The CFO and CEO of the company seeking investment presented impressive financial projections that even Marcus, with his newly minted business degree, could see looked promising. The numbers showed potential for a five-fold return within six or seven years. But something unexpected happened after they left the meeting. "So, are you going to do the deal?" Marcus asked Bobby as they rode in the Lincoln Navigator away from the meeting. "No, of course not," Bobby replied firmly. "That CFO told a fifty-million-dollar lie." Marcus was confused. The meeting had seemed productive, and the financials looked solid. What had he missed? Bobby explained that before the CEO arrived, he had witnessed the CFO instruct his assistant to lie about when a package had been sent to another client. "Tell her I mailed it yesterday. Then overnight it to her today," the CFO had said casually. "If people are willing to break the rules when it comes to the small stuff," Bobby explained, "then it is just a hop, skip, and jump to the big stuff. The problem is I don't know if he is willing to lie to me or not. But I do know that he is willing to lie. He has no integrity—he has a divided life." Bobby went on to explain his first Golden Rule of Influence: Live a life of undivided integrity. "Think about the word 'integer' from high school math," he told Marcus. "It means a whole number. Having integrity means living a whole life. You are wholly truthful. If you're willing to lie, then you have divided yourself and given up your integrity." The lesson struck Marcus deeply. Bobby wasn't expecting perfection—everyone makes mistakes. But he was looking for people who acknowledge their errors and fix them before small cracks grow into catastrophic failures. "Ultimately the relationship between leader and follower, between buyer and seller, is about trust," Bobby emphasized. "Without integrity, it is impossible to trust. And whether you are dealing with fifty dollars, fifty million dollars, or five hundred million dollars, it is imperative that you have trust." As their car approached the airport, Marcus found himself reflecting on his own life, wondering if there were any "small cracks" in his integrity that needed fixing. The lesson was clear: in business and in life, your integrity is all you have. It forms the foundation upon which everything else is built.

Chapter 2: How Positive Attitudes Transform Leadership

The Chicago stadium buzzed with pre-game energy as Bobby Gold introduced Marcus to Tom Martin, the legendary baseball manager with the highest winning percentage in major league history. Tom had been out of baseball for a couple of years when Bobby purchased the struggling Chicago team and personally called to bring him back. Under Tom's leadership, the once-hapless team had achieved its first winning season in over two decades. "Professional sports has changed a lot since the early eighties," Tom explained as they settled into the plush leather couches in his office. "We're talking big money now—and even bigger egos. Everyone is a walking corporation with built-in marketing departments, endorsement deals, investments, you name it." Tom described how the power dynamic had shifted dramatically. Players often earned five to twenty times more than their managers, and teams were more likely to side with star players than coaches because of the massive financial investments they represented. "So how am I supposed to influence them?" Tom asked rhetorically. His answer came in the form of Bobby's second Golden Rule of Influence: Always demonstrate a positive attitude. "It is basic human nature," Tom explained. "People want to be around positive, optimistic people. People follow positive, optimistic people. Do you like being around negative people?" "No, of course not," Marcus replied. "Do you respond well to a good old-fashioned tail whoopin' when you fail?" "Not really." "Nobody does. And yet we have leaders who don't get it." Tom shared how he transformed his team by focusing on optimism even in the face of failure. "A great hitter will bat .350. That would put him up there for the batting championship every year. That means, though, that sixty-five times out of one hundred, that batter will march right back to the dugout rather than getting on base." The key difference, Tom explained, was in how people respond to setbacks. Most people ask "Why did this happen to me?" or "Why does this always happen?" But successful leaders ask a different question: "What good can come from this?" This simple shift in perspective focuses on solutions rather than problems, on a better future rather than a disappointing present. Tom shared the story of Carlos Menendez, baseball's best hitter, who had suffered through a devastating slump with another team. "That manager chewed Carlos out endlessly, shaming him for his slump, and that just made it worse." When Carlos was traded to Tom's team, Tom took a different approach. "I told him over and over again that he is the best hitter in baseball and that is exactly what he has become." The lesson was powerful: your words have the ability to breathe life into people or, if you're not careful, death. "Words have tremendous power," Tom emphasized, "first for ourselves, and then for others." By choosing optimism and speaking words of encouragement rather than criticism, leaders create an environment where people naturally want to follow.

Chapter 3: Putting Others' Interests First: The Fishing Approach

As they walked through the crowded baseball stadium corridors, Bobby Gold was stopped repeatedly by employees—from ushers to peanut vendors to maintenance staff. Marcus noticed something peculiar: Bobby never initiated conversations about work. Instead, he asked about their families, weekend plans, and personal interests. "You've probably heard of 'leadership by walking around,'" Bobby explained between conversations, "but what matters is what you do when you walk around. I make sure that I am looking out for my people and building relationships. I make sure they know that I care about them and am interested in them." This approach, Bobby revealed, was his third Golden Rule of Influence: Consider other people's interests as more important than your own. He contrasted this with typical leadership behavior: "Most bosses, especially rich and powerful bosses, walk around and look for things that are wrong and need attending to. Their workers dread their visits because of it. I think people enjoy seeing me come around. They know that I care about them." Bobby illustrated this principle with a story about his teenage daughter who worked at a local coffee shop. For the first few weeks, she brought home about twenty-five dollars a day in tips. Then suddenly her tips jumped to nearly seventy-five dollars daily. When Bobby asked what had changed, she replied, "I finally figured people out. People love to talk about themselves! I used to just make their coffee and not say much. Now I ask them all kinds of questions about themselves." This simple insight had tripled her income. By showing genuine interest in others, she had unconsciously influenced them to be more generous with their tips. "If you want to develop lasting relationships," Bobby explained, "you have to be interesting. Nobody wants to hang out with a bore. But even more important than being interest-ing, is being interest-ed." Bobby further clarified this principle by comparing influence to fishing rather than hunting. "What does an animal do when it's being hunted?" he asked Marcus. "It runs, I guess," Marcus replied. "Exactly. Now, think about sales. I have found that so many people lose sales and their basic ability to influence because they are hunters. They are on the prowl looking for something to bag. That is why the people they try to lead or sell to run away, both literally and figuratively." The fishing approach, by contrast, puts other people at ease and lets them feel they are in control—because they are. Bobby explained that successful fishing requires four elements: having fish (there are plenty of opportunities), going where the fish are biting (finding receptive people), using the right bait (being the kind of person others want to follow), and proper presentation (how you present yourself matters). This lesson fundamentally changed how Marcus viewed business relationships. Success wasn't about aggressively pursuing what you want, but about creating an environment where others naturally want to work with you because they know you genuinely care about their interests.

Chapter 4: Excellence as the Foundation of Lasting Influence

The New York Diamond Hotel exuded luxury from every corner as Bobby Gold and Marcus stepped into the private suite of Paul Diamond, the ninth richest person in America. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered breathtaking views that made visitors feel as if they were walking on air. Diamond, whose name perfectly matched his empire of luxury hotels, had built the most recognizable personal brand on earth. "Bobby is right: There is a huge connection between excellence and influence," Paul began as they settled into comfortable chairs. "People are attracted to excellence, so when we live our lives with excellence, people view us in a different way than if we didn't. They actually respect us more, admire us more, and give us more opportunity to influence them." Paul explained that there are only three options for how to live: poorly, good, or with excellence. "If you want to win at life, if you want to be a leader and influencer, you are best served by living a life of excellence," he stated firmly. This was Bobby's fourth Golden Rule of Influence: Don't settle for anything less than excellence. Paul shared how he had built his life and work around seven areas of excellence: physical appearance, emotional health, intellectual growth, spiritual depth, relationships, financial success, and charitable giving. "My goal is to be constantly improving in every area of my life, first for my own wellbeing, but also because I know that if I improve myself, I grow my influence." To illustrate his commitment to excellence even in small details, Paul described how he personally picks up scraps of paper when walking through his hotels. "My staff sees that even the small details matter to me," he explained. "They get it. They see that I lead by example. It inspires them to pay attention to even the smallest details too." When Marcus asked about the importance of financial success, Paul offered a nuanced perspective: "You can gain influence by making money and gain even more by giving it away. Coming and going. Pretty great, actually." He explained that while financial success naturally attracts attention, true influence comes from using that success to benefit others. "I have more money than I know what to do with," Paul admitted. "I could retire the next five generations of my family." Yet he had chosen to focus most of his wealth on changing the world through organizations in developing countries. "There are millions of men and women with great potential who have the deck stacked against them simply because of where they live or because they were born into poverty. I want to do what I can to help them." As the meeting concluded, Paul handed Marcus a signed copy of his book with a simple inscription: "To Marcus, Excellence!" The message was clear: excellence isn't just about perfection in business—it's about striving to be your best in every dimension of life. When you commit to excellence as a lifestyle, influence naturally follows.

Chapter 5: Character vs. Skills: The Natural Aristocracy

The Falcon 900 EX private jet cruised at 40,000 feet as Bobby Gold explained one of the most fundamental principles of influence to Marcus. "People are always looking at you and deciding, either consciously or subconsciously, whether or not they will follow you. And the two things they're looking at are your character and your skills." To illustrate this point, Bobby had Marcus write down ten qualities he looked for in a leader. Marcus produced a thoughtful list: honesty, passion, vision, empowering, fairness, decisiveness, good listening skills, an ability to communicate, courage, and positive attitude. "Great list," Bobby said, examining it carefully. "Now, every single one of them can be classified as either a character trait or a skill. That's important." Bobby then quoted Thomas Jefferson: "There is a 'natural aristocracy among men, the grounds of which is virtue and talent.'" He explained that this meant anyone—regardless of background—could rise to the highest levels if they possessed virtue (character) and talent (skills). When Bobby asked Marcus to classify each item on his list, Marcus determined he had written down eight character traits and only two skills. "That sounds about right," Bobby nodded. "I have had thousands of executives do this exercise and it always comes out the same, right around seventy or eighty percent character traits, which proves my theory about who you are being the most important aspect of influence." This revelation surprised Marcus. Throughout his business education, the emphasis had always been on developing skills—giving presentations, analyzing financials, creating strategies. Yet here was one of the most successful businessmen in America telling him that character was far more important. "Would you be able to be a great leader if you had impeccable character but no skills?" Bobby asked. "No, of course not," Marcus replied. "That's right, nobody wants to follow someone who's all character and no skill. That kind of person might be a great friend, but not a leader," Bobby explained. "And what if you have tremendous skills but no character? What are you then?" "A politician?" Marcus joked. Bobby laughed but then turned serious. "You can lead for a while with great skills, but if you don't have character, eventually people will turn their backs on you and cease to do business with you. Ultimately, leadership, sales, and business are about trust. A follower must trust the leader. A buyer must trust the seller. No character, no trust." Bobby pointed out that most companies focus too much of their energy on skills training while neglecting character development. "Have you ever been to a skills-training workshop?" he asked. "Sure," Marcus replied. "Have you ever been to a character-training workshop?" "Uh, no." "Exactly. Which is why so many people see their businesses tank. Or never get off the ground." As the New York skyline came into view, Bobby's face brightened at the sight of the Statue of Liberty. "I have seen that woman a thousand times and she still brings a tear to my eye," he said. "Millions of people came here from all over the world to pursue their dreams." The symbol of freedom seemed to underscore their conversation about the natural aristocracy of character and skills—the idea that in America, anyone could rise to greatness through virtue and talent.

Chapter 6: Bobby Gold's Journey from Nanny to Billions

The story of how Marcus came to spend time with billionaire Bobby Gold was almost as remarkable as the lessons he learned. It began with a graduation barbecue celebrating Marcus's completion of Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. Among the well-wishers was his grandmother Beatrice, a quiet woman in her eighties who had traveled from her small North Dakota town for the occasion. After opening gifts from family and friends, only Beatrice's gift remained. She handed Marcus a simple envelope containing a card that read: "A WEEKEND WITH BOBBY GOLD" along with a cell phone number. Marcus was confused. Bobby Gold was one of the most famous billionaires in America—how could his grandmother possibly arrange such a meeting? "I called him and asked him if he would do it for me," Beatrice explained matter-of-factly. When pressed for details, she revealed a surprising connection: "I was Bobby's nanny for three years when he was growing up. From the time he was eight until he was eleven—such a nice young man." This unexpected connection opened the door to an extraordinary opportunity. Bobby Gold's own journey had been remarkable. Born to affluent parents outside Chicago, he showed entrepreneurial spirit from an early age. Unlike Marcus, however, he never finished college. In his sophomore year, he recognized the potential in computer hardware and promptly quit school to start Gold Hard Drives. When he took the company public at age twenty-six, he pocketed $750 million. That was just the beginning. Over the next twenty-one years, Bobby expanded into software, media companies, music labels, hotels, clothing, and even purchased a major league baseball team. He branded all his products with the claim that "Nothing's Better Than Gold"—a brilliant marketing strategy that matched the quality of his offerings. But Bobby's success wasn't just about business acumen. He possessed extraordinary influence—the ability to change people's minds and help them see his point of view. People often remarked that they left meetings with Bobby amazed that they'd ever disagreed with him in the first place. There was something about him that made people want to work with him, listen to him, and learn from him. Perhaps most impressive was what Bobby did with his influence. Unlike those who build wealth only to retreat into private luxury, Bobby was a humanitarian who helped charities around the world. He sat on many nonprofit boards and started a huge micro-loan program that gave small low-interest loans to thousands of impoverished people in South America and Africa. Despite his flamboyant public persona, Bobby maintained a grounded personal life. He married a schoolteacher and prioritized his family amidst his business empire. This balance reflected his understanding that true influence comes from character, not just achievement. When Bobby called Marcus to arrange their meeting, he explained his intention: "Business school is great, and from everything I hear, Northwestern has an excellent program. Knowing that you graduated from Kellogg tells me that you know the science of business, but the way I see it, that's only half of it. Now I want to teach you the other side of business, or as I call it, the art of business." That art, Bobby explained, was influence—the ability to inspire others to follow your lead willingly. And it would become the focus of their time together.

Chapter 7: The Four Golden Rules That Shape Influencers

As Marcus's extraordinary weekend with Bobby Gold drew to a close, he boarded the private jet for his flight home. Bobby had stayed behind in New York, but promised they would keep in touch. About twenty minutes into the flight, Marcus noticed a small box on one of the tables with his name on it. Inside was a wall hanging inscribed with the Four Golden Rules of Influence that Bobby had taught him: LIVE A LIFE OF UNDIVIDED INTEGRITY ALWAYS DEMONSTRATE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE CONSIDER OTHER PEOPLE'S INTERESTS AS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR OWN DON'T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN EXCELLENCE Accompanying the gift was a note from Bobby expressing his appreciation for Marcus's grandmother and revealing a surprise: Marcus's brother Jack had secretly sent Bobby the business plan Marcus had been working on. Bobby was impressed enough to include a $50,000 check to help launch the venture, with an offer to invest $500,000 more for a forty percent stake once the business was up and running. "My only other requirement," Bobby wrote, "is that when you hit it big, you have to use your wealth and influence to help others." The phone in the cabin rang, and Marcus answered to hear Bobby's voice. "Did you open your present?" he asked. "I did. That is amazing, Bobby. I don't know what to say or do." "Do your best. Make a difference. We need all the influencers we can get to make the most of this world. Just give it your best." This unexpected mentorship had transformed Marcus's understanding of business success. Throughout their time together, Bobby had systematically dismantled Marcus's assumptions about what creates influence. It wasn't about persuasive techniques or manipulative tactics. It wasn't even primarily about business acumen or technical skills—though those were certainly important. Instead, Bobby had shown that true influence stems from who you are as a person. The first rule—living with undivided integrity—formed the foundation. Without trust, no business relationship could thrive. The second rule—maintaining a positive attitude—created an environment where others naturally wanted to follow. The third rule—putting others' interests first—built genuine connections that transcended transactional relationships. And the fourth rule—committing to excellence in all things—established a standard that inspired others to their best performance. Through meetings with baseball manager Tom Martin and fellow billionaire Paul Diamond, Bobby had reinforced these principles with real-world examples. He had shown Marcus that influence isn't something you do—it's something you earn through consistent character and competence. As the plane continued its journey home, Marcus gazed out the window at the horizon. The entire world was before him, and thanks to Bobby Gold's Four Golden Rules of Influence, he now had the principles to make a significant impact on it.

Summary

The essence of true influence lies not in what you do, but in who you are. When you build your life on a foundation of undivided integrity, maintain a consistently positive attitude, genuinely prioritize others' interests above your own, and commit to excellence in everything you touch, you create a magnetic force that naturally draws others to your vision and leadership. Start by examining your own character for "small cracks" in integrity that could undermine trust, and repair them immediately. Practice asking "What good can come from this?" when facing setbacks instead of dwelling on problems. When interacting with others, be more interested than interesting—ask questions and genuinely care about their answers. Finally, pursue excellence not just in your professional skills but in every dimension of life: physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, relational, financial, and charitable. Remember that influence is a gift others give you, not something you can demand—and it comes to those who embody these golden rules in both their words and actions.

About Author

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Chris Widener

Chris Widener is one of the rising stars of the personal development field.Chris has been speaking professionally since 1988 and has shared the stage with top political figures, nationally known television news anchors, best-selling authors, and professional athletes. He has spoken on motivation and leadership to groups at some of America's finest organizations such as General Electric, Cisco Systems, and the Harvard Business School.Chris has written over 400 articles and 9 books and has produced over 30 audio programs on leadership and motivation. His most recent book is The Angel Inside - Creating a Life of Power and Beauty. Chris Widener's Ezine has subscribers in 105 countries, making it one of the world's most widely distributed newsletters on success and leadership. Chris is also the co-host, along with Zig Ziglar, of the nationally televised show "True Performance."In November 2009, Chris began a group called Positively Republican on Facebook. It has now become the largest Republican group on Facebook behind the official party site. It is focused on a positive promotion of conservative ideals. Chris is available to speak on using social media in politics and the need for positive civil discourse in politics.Brian Tracy says, "Chris Widener is one of the best speakers in America today."Denis Waitley says, "Chris Widener is one of the brand new top stars on the International platform speaking circuit."Jim Rohn says "Chris Widener is the leader of a new generation of personal development and leadership experts."

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