How to Win Friends and Influence People

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What qualities do you think make a good leader? How might leaders be met with a variety of challenges when addressing differences in colleagues’ needs? Why do people have conflicting views of what leadership means? What might be some of the failings of different leaders?     

Teaching Suggestion: In the book, the author discusses the importance of positive interaction to influence others. Consider discussing characteristics that are admired in leaders and colleagues and some qualities that are less desirable.

• This article from Harvard Business Review describes the various aspects of leadership and what it means, and connects to the theme of Leadership as Inspiration.     
• This article from Babson College describes why leadership is important in the workplace and connects to the theme of Leadership as Inspiration.

Short Activity

Decide what aspects of leadership are the most important and what qualities are less valuable in leadership positions. In a brief speech to the class, describe your own leadership style and how it impacts your work and studies. As students present, note the ways leadership styles among your peers are different.