Close Modal

The Influence Effect

A New Path to Power for Women Leaders

Hardcover
$24.95 US
6.25"W x 9.31"H x 0.73"D   | 16 oz | 33 per carton
On sale Nov 06, 2017 | 200 Pages | 9781523082766
Women hold over half of all professional jobs today, yet they represent just four percent of CEOs in the S&P 500. Even worse, that percentage has barely budged in a decade.
That’s where The Influence Effect comes in. Based on recent research by the authors of the New York Times bestseller Break Your Own Rules, this book begins with the premise that when it comes to political savvy, what works for men at work won’t work for women. Packed with the authors’ coaching insights and their “Big Five” strategies designed specifically for female executives, this book guides women to break past political barriers and get right to what they really want—influence.

Authors Kathryn Heath, Jill Flynn, Mary Davis Holt, and Diana Faison make success far less complex, helping women overcome entrenched resistance to their ideas, create their own access points to power, and attract followers in a way that works for them. They present tools such as Influence Loops (to organically increase influence), Personal Scaffolding (to grow a groundswell of support), and Scenario Thinking (a savvy twist on strategic planning). These and other smart strategies finally allow women to succeed on their own terms.

Illustrated with dozens of engaging, real stories culled from the authors’ many years of coaching experience, The Influence Effect moves women past the politics problem and offers a new path to power. Actually, it’s more than a path—it’s a runway—it frees women to take off in their careers on their own terms. The Influence Effect will work for women, not because gender barriers will no longer exist, but because they will no longer hold women back.
“I applaud the authors of The Influence Effect for providing women everywhere with actionable strategies that will help them use influence as a tool to succeed at the highest levels of leadership.” —Susan DeVore, CEO, Premier Inc.

“Influence is critical in getting to the C-Suite. The strategies offered in The Influence Effect highlight the value of influence and how female executives can achieve it—without sacrificing their authentic selves.” —Peter Grauer, Chairman, Bloomberg LP, Founding Chairman, U.S. 30% Club

“Most books out there tell women how to act like men. How to compete. How to do backroom deals. But women are collaborative. The Influence Effect knows this. It is one of the only books I have read that leverages the unique strengths and approaches of women to give their careers (and organizations) a new path forward.” —Susan Penfield, Executive Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton

“The Influence Effect presents an inspired, winning approach for rebalancing the gender gaps that remain in most workplaces today. Simply and smartly, the book lays out how women can gain access to power in ways that foster influence and greater pathways for success. If you’ve been frustrated by barriers in business—if you’re hungry for the recognition you deserve—I urge you to get a copy of this valuable book. It may very well change the trajectory of your career.” —Bernie Swain, Chairman & Co-Founder, Washington Speakers Bureau

“The Influence Effect is a must-read—a captivating blend of real stories, research, practical advice and humor, it's an essential and powerful tool for all women interested in simplifying the path to success.” —Claire Shipman, Journalist and co-author of Womenomics and The Confidence Code

“Gender barriers won’t ever go away completely, but The Influence Effect shows how you can break through them! You will want to buy a copy for all the women in your life who can, and should, wield more influence.” —Bonnie St. John, Olympic Medalist and bestselling author of Micro-Resilience: Minor Shifts for Major Boosts

“Who wins when we close the gaps between men and women? Everyone. Thank you, Flynn Heath Holt Leadership, for focusing on “building influence” as the way forward. I recommend The Influence Effect to every leader who wants fast clarity on what’s at stake—and how to make the outcomes much better for people, better for business, and better for the world.”—Michael C. Bush, CEO, Great Place to Work

“Women need to gain influence. The Influence Effect provides simple and practical tools to empower women to gain access to the C-suite.” —Greg D. Carmichael, President and CEO, Fifth Third Bank

“The Influence Effect might just change your life: The book tackles the age-old problem of too few women in leadership positions, and it does this in an utterly fresh, compelling way—by asking women to practice “The Big Five Strategies” in order to pave their path to power. And as the real-world stories and case studies show, it works. I recommend this book to women everywhere who are ready to move forward, faster.” —Rich Karlgaard, Forbes Publisher, bestselling author, award-winning entrepreneur, and speaker


“The path to greatness is not a Machiavellian route of power; it is a trail of astute influence. And, influence comes best from a confident, authentic spirit; a focused zeal to make a difference; and the wisdom of a set of strategies. The Influence Effect delivers all three. Written by four women who have successfully forged that challenging trail, this animated and thought-provoking book will give you a pragmatic map and crucial tools for your journey.” —Chip R. Bell, author of Kaleidoscope: Delivering Innovative Service That Sparkles

“The Influence Effect tackles women’s underrepresentation in leadership with cutting-edge research and expert insights. The result is a powerful guide with a clear message: women bring something very different – and needed – to the table. Designed to help women leverage their unique strengths as leaders, The Influence Effect can help women everywhere break through barriers to advancement.” —Alyse Nelson, President & CEO, Vital Voices Global Partnership

“The Influence Effect shows women how to start leveling the playing field by accessing power—faster, better, smarter. Don’t wait to get yourself a copy. While you’re at it, buy one for someone you know who may not fully recognize that women are our most underutilized resource for delivering our very best business outcomes.” —Alden Mills, Entrepreneur, Navy SEAL, and Author including Be Unstoppable

"Gender barriers won’t ever go away, but if you follow the advice in The Influence Effect they will no longer hold you back." —The Honorable Cari M. Dominguez, Former Chair, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

“Reading The Influence Effect is certain to remind a woman that “Power” is a verb and that she is the boss of her destiny. Well done.” —Paula W. Hinton, Partner, Winston & Strawn, LLP

“I have long argued that business can no longer afford to exclude the strengths of half the human race: women. Leaders are slow to take us into that brave new world. But thanks to The Influence Effect’s intelligent approach, women can create their own “path to power” and start gaining the positions they want and need. I urge everyone to get a copy of this inspired and practical guide.” —John Gerzema, CEO of Harris Insights & Analytics/The Harris Poll, NYT Bestselling Author, Social Scientist, and Speaker
Kathryn Heath, Ph. D., is a founding partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership. She serves as a coach, developer of women’s leadership programs, and training designer.

Jill Flynn, M. Ed., is a founding partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership. She specializes in creating and implementing company-specific pipelines for high-potential women.

Mary Davis Holt, MBA, is a partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership. She is an executive coach and keynote speaker on business, women, and leadership.

Diana Faison, M. Ed., is a partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership, with expertise in leadership training, executive coaching, and performance consulting.

About

Women hold over half of all professional jobs today, yet they represent just four percent of CEOs in the S&P 500. Even worse, that percentage has barely budged in a decade.
That’s where The Influence Effect comes in. Based on recent research by the authors of the New York Times bestseller Break Your Own Rules, this book begins with the premise that when it comes to political savvy, what works for men at work won’t work for women. Packed with the authors’ coaching insights and their “Big Five” strategies designed specifically for female executives, this book guides women to break past political barriers and get right to what they really want—influence.

Authors Kathryn Heath, Jill Flynn, Mary Davis Holt, and Diana Faison make success far less complex, helping women overcome entrenched resistance to their ideas, create their own access points to power, and attract followers in a way that works for them. They present tools such as Influence Loops (to organically increase influence), Personal Scaffolding (to grow a groundswell of support), and Scenario Thinking (a savvy twist on strategic planning). These and other smart strategies finally allow women to succeed on their own terms.

Illustrated with dozens of engaging, real stories culled from the authors’ many years of coaching experience, The Influence Effect moves women past the politics problem and offers a new path to power. Actually, it’s more than a path—it’s a runway—it frees women to take off in their careers on their own terms. The Influence Effect will work for women, not because gender barriers will no longer exist, but because they will no longer hold women back.

Praise

“I applaud the authors of The Influence Effect for providing women everywhere with actionable strategies that will help them use influence as a tool to succeed at the highest levels of leadership.” —Susan DeVore, CEO, Premier Inc.

“Influence is critical in getting to the C-Suite. The strategies offered in The Influence Effect highlight the value of influence and how female executives can achieve it—without sacrificing their authentic selves.” —Peter Grauer, Chairman, Bloomberg LP, Founding Chairman, U.S. 30% Club

“Most books out there tell women how to act like men. How to compete. How to do backroom deals. But women are collaborative. The Influence Effect knows this. It is one of the only books I have read that leverages the unique strengths and approaches of women to give their careers (and organizations) a new path forward.” —Susan Penfield, Executive Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton

“The Influence Effect presents an inspired, winning approach for rebalancing the gender gaps that remain in most workplaces today. Simply and smartly, the book lays out how women can gain access to power in ways that foster influence and greater pathways for success. If you’ve been frustrated by barriers in business—if you’re hungry for the recognition you deserve—I urge you to get a copy of this valuable book. It may very well change the trajectory of your career.” —Bernie Swain, Chairman & Co-Founder, Washington Speakers Bureau

“The Influence Effect is a must-read—a captivating blend of real stories, research, practical advice and humor, it's an essential and powerful tool for all women interested in simplifying the path to success.” —Claire Shipman, Journalist and co-author of Womenomics and The Confidence Code

“Gender barriers won’t ever go away completely, but The Influence Effect shows how you can break through them! You will want to buy a copy for all the women in your life who can, and should, wield more influence.” —Bonnie St. John, Olympic Medalist and bestselling author of Micro-Resilience: Minor Shifts for Major Boosts

“Who wins when we close the gaps between men and women? Everyone. Thank you, Flynn Heath Holt Leadership, for focusing on “building influence” as the way forward. I recommend The Influence Effect to every leader who wants fast clarity on what’s at stake—and how to make the outcomes much better for people, better for business, and better for the world.”—Michael C. Bush, CEO, Great Place to Work

“Women need to gain influence. The Influence Effect provides simple and practical tools to empower women to gain access to the C-suite.” —Greg D. Carmichael, President and CEO, Fifth Third Bank

“The Influence Effect might just change your life: The book tackles the age-old problem of too few women in leadership positions, and it does this in an utterly fresh, compelling way—by asking women to practice “The Big Five Strategies” in order to pave their path to power. And as the real-world stories and case studies show, it works. I recommend this book to women everywhere who are ready to move forward, faster.” —Rich Karlgaard, Forbes Publisher, bestselling author, award-winning entrepreneur, and speaker


“The path to greatness is not a Machiavellian route of power; it is a trail of astute influence. And, influence comes best from a confident, authentic spirit; a focused zeal to make a difference; and the wisdom of a set of strategies. The Influence Effect delivers all three. Written by four women who have successfully forged that challenging trail, this animated and thought-provoking book will give you a pragmatic map and crucial tools for your journey.” —Chip R. Bell, author of Kaleidoscope: Delivering Innovative Service That Sparkles

“The Influence Effect tackles women’s underrepresentation in leadership with cutting-edge research and expert insights. The result is a powerful guide with a clear message: women bring something very different – and needed – to the table. Designed to help women leverage their unique strengths as leaders, The Influence Effect can help women everywhere break through barriers to advancement.” —Alyse Nelson, President & CEO, Vital Voices Global Partnership

“The Influence Effect shows women how to start leveling the playing field by accessing power—faster, better, smarter. Don’t wait to get yourself a copy. While you’re at it, buy one for someone you know who may not fully recognize that women are our most underutilized resource for delivering our very best business outcomes.” —Alden Mills, Entrepreneur, Navy SEAL, and Author including Be Unstoppable

"Gender barriers won’t ever go away, but if you follow the advice in The Influence Effect they will no longer hold you back." —The Honorable Cari M. Dominguez, Former Chair, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

“Reading The Influence Effect is certain to remind a woman that “Power” is a verb and that she is the boss of her destiny. Well done.” —Paula W. Hinton, Partner, Winston & Strawn, LLP

“I have long argued that business can no longer afford to exclude the strengths of half the human race: women. Leaders are slow to take us into that brave new world. But thanks to The Influence Effect’s intelligent approach, women can create their own “path to power” and start gaining the positions they want and need. I urge everyone to get a copy of this inspired and practical guide.” —John Gerzema, CEO of Harris Insights & Analytics/The Harris Poll, NYT Bestselling Author, Social Scientist, and Speaker

Author

Kathryn Heath, Ph. D., is a founding partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership. She serves as a coach, developer of women’s leadership programs, and training designer.

Jill Flynn, M. Ed., is a founding partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership. She specializes in creating and implementing company-specific pipelines for high-potential women.

Mary Davis Holt, MBA, is a partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership. She is an executive coach and keynote speaker on business, women, and leadership.

Diana Faison, M. Ed., is a partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership, with expertise in leadership training, executive coaching, and performance consulting.