Get low

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In college, we had a dean of students, that had a very tough job. Thinking back of what they had to do every day, dealing with problems and disciplining students. Making sure things ran smoothly on the campus. It was not an easy task.

I remember one day. I had an appointment to talk to the dean about a student council I was on, and I walked into his office and he had a chair behind his desk that sat very low to the ground, in fact, it was lower than the desk. ?

One day I asked him. Why his chair was so low? He told me that it's a good idea to put yourself beneath people. Literally and figuratively. When you put yourself beneath people, they don't see you as talking down to them and they're more open to your ideas. I was very impressed, and I learned a lot about influence that day.

One of the key secrets to influencing people is to humble yourself. Put other people above you. Even if they're in the wrong. Even if they've made a mistake. They're much more likely to be open to your idea if they don't find you threatening. In fact, when they sense your humility they are much more open to what you have to say.

That example stuck with me, and I try to live up to that example as much as I can by putting other people above me. I find it helps to really open the lines of communication and achieve more with people.

Try it when you can. When you're talking with people, make sure you come across as not above them but at their level or even beneath them. Maybe even lower your chair. And when they see your effort to be humble they will be far more open to your ideas.