Steve Martin on Influence At Work

How can we be better at influencing others? On this episode, I explore the world of influence with behavioural scientist Steve Martin.

Steve has made a career out of studying the art and science of persuasion, and in this conversation, we dive deep into his latest book Influence at Work.

Together, we unpack how influence is a key part of all aspects of life, including compliance.

We discuss why 'influence' often gets a bad rap as manipulative, and how it’s misunderstood as a 'dark art.' We discuss the nuances of influence: when it’s most effective, how to wield it ethically, and why sometimes the simplest approaches to influencing can be best.

Steve explains how influence can be harnessed for positive change and shares some surprising insights from his decades of research.

Hear how influence plays a pivotal role in compliance, organizational success, and personal interactions, plus how behavioral science can offer practical tools to help you be a better influencer—and resist being influenced yourself.

We also explore Steve’s personal reflections on his career in behavioural science, how the discipline has evolved and what it needs to do to stay relevant.

Whether you’re trying to influence colleagues, customers, or just navigate daily life, this episode is packed with actionable advice that everyone can use.

Guest Biography
Steve Martin is CEO of Influence at Work and Faculty Director at Columbia Business School.

He is the co-author of Messengers, Who We Listen to, Who We Don’t and Why, and the Royal Society nominated international bestseller ‘Yes! 60 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion’.

Steve’s books have sold over 1.5 million copies and been translated into 27 languages.

His work applying behavioural science to business and public policy has featured in the National and International press including BBC TV & Radio, The Times, New York Times, Harvard Business Review and Time magazine.

He penned the original, now world-famous set of Tax Letters that generated millions in extra revenue for the UK Government and his popular business columns are read by over 2.5 million people every month.

Steve is Faculty Director of Behavioural Science at Columbia University’s Graduate Business School NY, guest lectures at Harvard, London School of Economics and London Business School, and is a founding member and Chair of the Global Association of Applied Behavioural Scientists (GAABS).

AI Generated Timestamped Summary
[00:00:00] Introduction to the episode and topic of influence in compliance and life

[00:00:31] Why influence is a key skill for thriving in the modern world

[00:00:52] Introduction of Steve Martin and his background in behavioral science

[00:01:32] Steve shares how influence can be misunderstood as a dark art

[00:03:00] Steve talks about his new book Influence at Work and why he’ll never write a book alone again

[00:05:48] Discussion on why influence is central to human interactions and business

[00:08:00] The connection between behavioral science and influence

[00:09:30] How behavioral science strategies are designed to influence outcomes

[00:12:00] The long history of influence in society and its early roots

[00:16:00] Steve explains why quick hacks and shortcuts rarely lead to true influence

[00:19:00] The importance of understanding context when applying influence strategies

[00:21:00] Discussion on how to balance data, emotion, and economic factors in influence

[00:23:00] The growing focus on helping people resist negative influence strategies

[00:27:00] How influence can be long-lasting and not just a quick fix

[00:31:00] Summary of Steve’s “equation for influence”

[00:35:00] The role of evidence, economic consideration, and emotion in influence

[00:39:00] Reflections on the differences between being “right” and being “effective”

[00:44:00] Steve reflects on his own career and how influence has shaped his work

Relevant Links

Influence at Work, the book - https://influenceatwork.co.uk/our-books/

Take the Influence at Work quiz - https://influenceatwork.emhdevelopment.com/the_economist/?

Influence at Work, the company - https://www.influenceatwork.com/

The previous episode of this show on which Steve and his co-author Joe Marks explored their book Messengers - https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/steve-martin-joe-marks/