Everyone is Influential

I had to read this article for psychology (Basic Social Influence Is Underestimated by Robert B. Cialdini). It talks about how we are all influenced by other people. The whole thing is really interesting (especially if you think you're pretty independent in your decision-making, like myself) but if you could only read one part, I would suggest the section named "When They Are Expert on a Topic, People Frequently Ignore or Severely Underestimate the Extent to Which Others’ Input Can Improve Their Decisions." Or, I will just put it on here for you...

'I came across a remarkable interview a couple of years ago on the 50th anniversary of the publication of perhaps the most important scientific discovery of our time—the (double helix) structure of DNA, as revealed in the Nobel Prize-winning work of James Watson and Francis Crick. The interview, with Watson (An Interview With James Watson, 2003), was designed to inquire into those aspects of the duo’s efforts that had led them to solve the problem ahead of an array of highly accomplished rival investigators (including two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling). At first, Watson ticked off a set of contributory factors that, although crucial, did not surprise me: He and Crick had identified the problem as the most important one to attack; they were passionate about it, devoting themselves single-mindedly to the task; and, they were willing to try approaches that came from outside their areas of familiarity. But then he described a reason for their success that stunned me, maintaining that he and Crick had cracked the elusive code of DNA because they were not the most intelligent of the scientific competitors pursuing the answer. According to Watson, the smartest of the lot was Rosalind Franklin, a brilliant British scientist who was working in Paris at the time. “Rosalind was so intelligent,” observed Watson, “that she rarely sought advice. If you’re the brightest person in the room, you’re in trouble.” For me, that comment was both a revelation and a confirmation, throwing new light on a familiar error I had observed in the actions of manywell intentioned leaders. Far too often, a leader (who, by virtue of greater experience or wisdom or skill, is the ablest problem-solver in a particular arena) fails to ask for input from associates because he or she is, after all, the ablest problem-solver there. The consequences are suboptimal solutions, choices, and directions that could have been avoided via consultation. It is easy to see how Rosalind Franklin could have made a similar mistake: As the most intellectually gifted worker in the area, why should she want to seek the advice of the less gifted?'

Yes, I do need to work on this in some parts of my life.