How to Get People to Like You: Carnegie’s 3 Methods

A smiling group of senior friends who like each other

How do you get people to genuinely like you? Dale Carnegie’s advice boils down to three key strategies: demonstrate understanding toward others’ emotions, present yourself with warmth and positivity, and establish personal connections. Carnegie’s classic book How to Win Friends and Influence People offers practical techniques for becoming more likable. His approach emphasizes understanding why people feel the way they do and demonstrating that understanding through your words and actions. Keep reading for an in-depth look.

How to Win Friends and Influence People: The Basics

A group of friends in their 20s or 30s dressed up for a formal party

Struggling to connect with people or get them to see your perspective? Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People offers timeless principles for building genuine relationships and influencing others through appreciation, empathy, and understanding. Published in 1937, Carnegie’s classic teaches you to become a better conversationalist, make people feel valued, and change minds without causing offense. The book’s core approach centers on sincere appreciation, talking in terms of others’ interests, and avoiding criticism.

What Are the Five Love Languages? Simple Explanation + FAQ

A notebook depicting what the 5 love languages are

We know how deep our love is, but we often struggle to know how to express love. What are the best ways to truly demonstrate how much we care? What are the 5 Love Languages? Use the strategies developed by Gary Chapman and introduced in The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts to learn how to express love and, in doing so, create a deeper emotional connection in your relationship.

The Words of Affirmation Love Language & Its 4 Dialects

A cartoon of a boyfriend complimenting his girlfriend with words of affirmation

Can words make someone feel truly loved? For people whose primary love language is words of affirmation, verbal expressions of appreciation, encouragement, and kindness create emotional connection. In The 5 Love Languages, Gary Chapman identifies this as one of the key ways people give and receive love. Speaking words of affirmation effectively means understanding its various dialects: compliments that acknowledge effort and character, encouragement that inspires courage, kind language delivered with the right tone, and humble requests that show respect for your partner’s autonomy. Whether this comes naturally to you or requires conscious effort, learning to speak this love language

Quality Time Love Language: How to Spend Good Time Together

A couple spending quality time together walking in a park

Does your partner complain you’re always distracted or never really there? You may be neglecting the quality time love language—one of five love languages identified by Gary Chapman that emphasizes undivided attention over gifts, words, or physical touch. According to The 5 Love Languages, quality time means dedicating moments solely to being together without distractions like phones or TV. This guide explores why quality time matters, what happens when it’s missing, and how to practice its two main dialects: quality communication and focused activities.

The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More (Jefferson Fisher)

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Have you ever walked away from a conversation feeling frustrated, misunderstood, or like you were talking to a brick wall? Whether it’s a heated family dinner discussion or a tense meeting at work, we’ve all been there. Jefferson Fisher’s The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More isn’t about winning debates or getting your way. Instead, Fisher focuses on building genuine connections and turning conflicts into opportunities for understanding. Continue reading to discover how to handle even the toughest conversations.

Professional Troublemaker: Book Overview & Takeaways

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Do you want to become more comfortable with who you are? Do you struggle to speak up, even if it’s the right thing to do? In her book Professional Troublemaker, Luvvi Ajayi Jones argues that challenging the status quo is scary. Still, it’s worth doing because it’s a powerful way to improve our lives and the lives of others. Read more in our overview of Professional Troublemaker.

Ros Atkins’s The Art of Explanation: Book Overview & Takeaways

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Do you struggle to get your point across clearly when explaining complex ideas? Are your presentations and conversations leaving people more confused than clear? Ros Atkins’s The Art of Explanation: How to Communicate With Clarity and Confidence reveals the code to effective communication. The BBC journalist’s seven-step method transforms muddy messages into crystal-clear insights that actually stick with your audience. Continue reading to discover how to master the skill that separates great communicators from the rest.

What Is Stretch Collaboration? The 3 Principles (Adam Kahane)

A man and a woman shake hands while standing in an office building, showing signs of collaboration

Do you have to collaborate with others at work or in school? Are you ever paired with someone you don’t see eye-to-eye with? In Collaborating with the Enemy, conflict resolution expert Adam Kahane draws on his experience mediating high-stakes conflicts. Kahane’s “stretch collaboration” framework shows how to embrace both conflict and connection, experiment with different solutions when the path ahead isn’t clear, and focus on changing your contribution rather than trying to change others.  Keep reading to learn what stretch collaboration is and the principles that make up its framework.

Collaborating with the Enemy by Adam Kahane: Book Overview

A businessman and business woman standing in an office shaking hands with unhappy looks on their faces

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a project with people you don’t agree with, like, or trust? How does stretch collaboration differ from traditional collaboration? In Collaborating with the Enemy, conflict resolution expert Adam Kahane offers an unconventional approach to working with difficult people. Kahane’s “stretch collaboration” framework shows how to embrace both conflict and connection, experiment with different solutions when the path ahead isn’t clear, and focus on changing your contribution rather than trying to change others.  Keep reading to learn strategies for transforming seemingly impossible collaborations into productive partnerships.