Influence works.
For 50 years!

50 years of Influence

What once started as a strong belief in personal effectiveness has grown into a vision that is still relevant today. When you learn to consciously switch between different ways of communicating and behaving, you achieve more. Without losing sight of your relationships with others.

With Influence works, we are not only celebrating a 50-year anniversary. Above all, we show why this way of thinking has stood the test of time for half a century, and how it remains indispensable for the future. Because organisations continue to change, interests will sometimes continue to clash, but we still need each other to truly get things done.

How it all began

The story of Insight into Influence® began with a simple but important question: how do you achieve something when you need others, without relying on formal authority?

In 1976, Hans Zuidema brought this training to the Netherlands. What started as an innovative idea grew into the solid foundation of our work. A foundation that is still visible today in how we look at communication, behaviour and personal development.

Read more about our origins.

Why has it worked for 50 years?

Because work is always about people.

Whether you lead a team, collaborate with colleagues or negotiate with clients: every working relationship requires contact. Contact to build trust, bridge differences and achieve results together. That was true 50 years ago, and it is no different today.

Influence is not a trick. It is a skill that helps you attune to others, take a position and create movement, while strengthening the relationship. The world changes, but the essence remains the same: if you want to achieve something with other people, it starts with good contact.

Why will it still work 50 years from now?

The world is changing fast.

Technology is developing, organisations are becoming more complex and working relationships are more dynamic. We work hybrid, switch faster and deal with more stimuli, interests and interdependencies.

But beneath all that change, something fundamental remains the same: people have a biological need for connection. We want to be seen, taken seriously and understand what the intention is. Good contact therefore remains the foundation of effective collaboration.

In fact, influence will only become more important. Because the more complex the world becomes, the more it asks of your ability to attune, connect and communicate consciously.