Influence 2 Part 4 Emily May 2026

The danger isn’t malice. It’s automation. Your brain shortcuts: “I like them → I trust them → I say yes.”

It sounds warm, fuzzy, and harmless. But in Influence, Chapter 2, Part 4 , Emily pulls back the curtain on the Liking principle—and her take is sharper, darker, and more useful than the typical “just be friendly” advice. influence 2 part 4 emily

Her point: Liking isn’t a leadership tool—it’s a cognitive bias. And when you don’t name it, it runs the table. The danger isn’t malice

We’ve all heard it: “People buy from people they like.” and harmless. But in Influence

In Part 4, Emily shares a quiet story: a manager who kept promoting a well-liked underperformer because “everyone wanted him on the team.” Liking overrode competence. Sound familiar?