18 CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONScolleagues. In fact, over the past twenty-five years, we've asked
over twenty thousand people to identify the individuals in their
organizations who could really get things done. We wanted to
find those who were not just influential, but who were far more
influential than the rest.
Each time, as we compiled the names into a list, a pattern
emerged. Some people were named by one or two colleagues.
Some found their way onto the lists of five or six people. These
were the good at influence, but not good enough to be widely
identified as top performers. And then there were the handful
who were named thirty or more times. These were the best-the
clear opinion leaders in their areas. Some were managers and
supervisors. Many were not.
One of the opinion leaders we became particularly interested
in meeting was named Kevin. He was the only one of eight vice
presidents in his company to be identified as exceedingly influ
ential. We wanted to know why. So we watched him at work.
At first, Kevin didn't do anything remarkable. In truth, he looked
like every other VP. He answered his phone, talked to his direct
reports, and continued about his pleasant, but routine, routine.
The Startling Discovery
After trailing Kevin for almost a week, we began to wonder if he
really did act in ways that set him apart from others or if his
influence was simply a matter of popularity. And then we fol
lowed Kevin into a meeting.
Kevin, his peers, and their boss were deciding on a new loca
tion for their offices-would they move across town, across the
state, or across the country? The first two execs presented their
arguments for their top choices, and as expected, their points were
greeted by penetrating questions from the full team. No vague
claim went unclarified, no unsupported reasoning unquestioned.