Davis - The art of quiet influence: eastern wisdom and mindfulness for work and life: Confucius, Rumi, Gandhi, the Buddha, taoists, Zen masters, and more

St. Johns College and The Forum Corporation have supplied the material for yet another book.

The Program in Eastern Classics, housed on the Santa Fe, New Mexico, campus of St. Johns, offers masters degree candidates the opportunity to read and discuss great texts of ancient and medieval China, India, and Japan while studying classical Chinese or Sanskrit. As a graduate of the program, I can say that Ive never learned more or had a better time learning. This book is dedicated to my tutors (the St. Johns term for professors), with an extra shout-out to Krishnan Venkatesh, who read and made important corrections to the Prologue.

Although the takeoff and touchdown were a little rough, my 23-year flight with Forum was, overall, a joy. My deep appreciation goes to firm founders John Humphrey and Richard Whiteley, along with the researchers and designers behind the original Influence training program and the myriad Forum alumni who know what a special place we were fortunate to be a part of.

Special thanks go to the experts in influence and Eastern cultures who made time for interviews and whose insights appear throughout these pages: Andre Alphonso, Bruce Thomas, Carin Gendell, Carol Kane, Christie Jacobs, Court Chilton, Daven Lee, Dick Meyer, Elizabeth Griep, Galina Jeffrey, Gurcharan Das, Helena Garlicki, Joan Bragar, John Humphrey, Keith Bronitt, Ken De Loreto, Maggie Walsh, Marian Thier, Mike Maginn, Molly McGinn, Paul Garces, Rasmus Hougaard, Shibani Belwalkar, Tracy Hulett, and Wesley Luo. My quotations of their words are inadequate to convey their wildly impressive accomplishments, talent, and wisdom.

Thank you to Alison Hankey and the whole Nicholas Brealey Publishing team for believing in The Art of Quiet Influence and shepherding it to publication.

Finally, as always: Immense love and respect to Matt and Emily. They have supported my studies, my weird ideas for books, and my Trader Joes gluten-free chocolate-chip cookie habit.

First published in 2019 by Nicholas Brealey Publishing

An imprint of John Murray Press

A Hachette UK company

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Copyright Jocelyn Davis, 2019

The right of Jocelyn Davis to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Davis, Jocelyn R., author.

Title: The art of quiet influence : eastern wisdom and mindfulness for work and life : Confucius, Rumi, Gandhi, the Buddha, taoists, Zen masters, and more / by Jocelyn Davis.

Description: 1 Edition. | Boston, MA : Nicholas Brealey Publishing, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018045211 (print) | LCCN 2018061253 (ebook) | ISBN 9781473687615 (ebook) | ISBN 9781473687622 (library ebook) | ISBN 9781473687646 (pbk. : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Mindfulness (Psychology) | Self-actualization (Psychology) | Conduct of life. | Work.

Classification: LCC BF637.M4 (ebook) | LCC BF637.M4 D375 2019 (print) | DDC 658.4/092dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018045211

ISBN 978-1-4736-8764-6

US eBook 978-1-4736-8761-5

UK eBook 978-1-4736-8763-9

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For my tutors
in the St. Johns College Program in Eastern ClassicsCary, John, Julie, Krishnan, Michael, and Patriciawith grateful admiration

The teacher, if indeed wise,
does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom,
but leads you to the threshold of your own mind.

KAHLIL GIBRAN

Of the best leader, when his work is done,
the people all say: We did it ourselves.

LAOZI

In a gentle way, you can shake the world.

GANDHI

Praise for
THE ART OF QUIET INFLUENCE

Drawing heavily on the wisdom of sages from the past, Jocelyn Daviss terrific book boldly asserts that a person cannot gain influence over someone by using position, authority, or power to coerce. These techniques may get you leverage and control, but never influence. In contrast, genuine influence must be earned and won. It is through the quiet strength of caring, trusting, and affirming an individual that this is truly accomplished. A tremendous and relevant read!

Stephen M. R. Covey, New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Speed of Trust

Jocelyn Davis riveted my attention with her first sentence: Command authority is a poor basis for life. I found it impossible to put down this captivating and inspirational book, full of stories, models, and wisdom of some of the greatest minds of Eastern philosophy. If youre open to a message full of hope, acceptance, and influence, spend a few hours with this gift to the world of insightful, true leadershipthe ability to lead without authority.

Doug Kirkpatrick, US Partner, NuFocus Strategic Group; author, From Hierarchy to High-Performance and Beyond Empowerment: The Age of the Self-Managed Organization

Blends the timeless wisdom of Eastern sages with contemporary research, stories, and examples, providing both the inspiration and the how-to. A book for anyone who needs to lead without authoritythat is, everyone!

Rasmus Hougaard, Founder, Potential Project; author, The Mind of the Leader

Command and control is dead! Which raises the question, Whats next? Whats next is for you to utilize influence as a means of creating optimum performance. How can you make this challenging transition? Let this book be your guide. Note the stories, research, tool kit of more than 75 tactics, plus the wisdom offered by sages such as Rumi, Gandhi, and Confucius. All this offered in the friendly writing style of an established author makes The Art of Quiet Influence a sure winner.

Richard Whiteley, author, Love the Work Youre With and The Corporate Shaman

In The Art of Quiet Influence, Davis uses the power of stories both old and new to illustrate the theory of mindfulness and servant leadership, providing a mind-expanding yet down-to-earth guide for leaders, sales professionals, and influencers of all stripes.

Craig Wortmann, Founder and Executive Director, Kellogg Sales Institute, Kellogg School of Management; CEO, Sales Engine Inc.; author, Whats Your Story?

Filled with memorable examples and stories, The Art of Quiet Influence is a deeply personal yet practical book that offers a roadmap to more mindful, compassionate, and effective leadership. Not only that, Davis does a great job of demystifying Eastern philosophy and showing its relevance to todays global business world.

Karen Blal, CIPD Regional Director Asia