Vol 60｜What truly influences others is not methods or techniques, but your authenticity, your experiences, and your story

Core idea: Real influence does not come from skills or tactics

It comes from: authenticity, lived experience, and personal stories

Self-reflection: In the early days of entrepreneurship, I relied heavily on methods and deliberately managed relationships

Looking back now, it felt like a form of “forced effort”

The underlying logic of business and life: everything is built on human trust

The dual nature of relationships: relationships can nourish you, but they can also drain you

Key question: How do we build healthy relationships?

→ Fundamentally: how do we influence others

Real-world context (Recruitment):

During hiring in the Netherlands, I conducted over 20 intensive interviews with candidates

Key insight begins to emerge: influence comes from authenticity, not presentation

A critical situation: The company faced a safety inspection, leading to a temporary halt in sales and product recall (publicly known situation)

A turning point appeared in candidates’ reactions:

Some focused on stability, while others focused on decision-making and thinking patterns

Strong candidates asked:

“Why did you make this decision? What will you do next?”

The essence of influence: it is not only language, but also your state, energy, and presence

Authentic expression: admitting mistakes, explaining decisions clearly, sharing how we respond—without hiding or polishing

Result reversal: what seemed like a “negative event” actually became a moment of trust-building

Key feedback: every company makes mistakes

But what matters is how you face them

If you use tactics to cover up reality, you may actually lose the people who matter most

Two-way validation: authenticity allows both sides to see each other’s true values

Recruitment insight: candidates are not attracted by “company scale,” but by “growth trajectory”

Counterintuitive discovery: being honest about imperfections makes you more attractive

Core transformation: authenticity turns disadvantages into advantages

Pattern summary: authenticity is the fastest path to building trust

Perspective shift: we ourselves are also more willing to trust real people

Deeper layer: authenticity makes people feel relaxed, and relationships unfold naturally

Action suggestion: start with one safe relationship and practice more honest expression

Closing summary: authenticity is a foundational capability of influence