The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone's Mind

Jonah Berger is one of those rare thinkers who blends research-based insights with immensely practical guidance. I am grateful to be one of the many who have learned from this master teacher. Jim Collins, author Good to Great, coauthor Built to Last

From the author of New York Times bestsellers Contagious and Invisible Influence comes a revolutionary approach to changing anyone’s mind.

Everyone has something they want to change. Marketers want to change their customers’ minds and leaders want to change organizations. Start-ups want to change industries and nonprofits want to change the world. But change is hard. Often, we persuade and pressure and push, but nothing moves. Could there be a better way?

This book takes a different approach. Successful change agents know it’s not about pushing harder, or providing more information, it’s about being a catalyst. Catalysts remove roadblocks and reduce the barriers to change. Instead of asking, “How could I change someone’s mind?” they ask a different question: “Why haven’t they changed already? What’s stopping them?”

The Catalyst identifies the key barriers to change and how to mitigate them. You’ll learn how catalysts change minds in the toughest of situations: how hostage negotiators get people to come out with their hands up and how marketers get new products to catch on, how leaders transform organizational culture and how activists ignite social movements, how substance abuse counselors get addicts to realize they have a problem, and how political canvassers change deeply rooted political beliefs.

This book is designed for anyone who wants to catalyze change. It provides a powerful way of thinking and a range of techniques that can lead to extraordinary results. Whether you’re trying to change one person, transform an organization, or shift the way an entire industry does business, this book will teach you how to become a catalyst.

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Published Feb 1, 2022

288 pages

Average rating: 8.43

14 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

GGupta
Nov 20, 2023
10/10 stars
The Catalyst is a pragmatic resource for those leading large or small change processes. Berger pulls in solid references to change theory and adds relevant examples which move the reader to synthesis- level learning and problem sovling.
kptnkate
Mar 27, 2023
7/10 stars
Nicely laid out theory of change, well supported with clear examples. In general, the material will be very helpful to revitalizing our strategic thinking. The only downside is that, like most advice books, the heavy repetition makes it feel like an essay stretched to book length.

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