How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (Part 5 of 5 mini series)

✍️ By Debbie Balfour | WBN News |August 24, 2025 | Click HERE for your FREE Subscription to WBN News and/or to be a Contributor.

The real test of leadership isn’t getting results once—it’s inspiring people to change for the long haul.

In the final chapters of How to Win Friends and Influence People (Chapters 19–30), Dale Carnegie takes influence to its highest level: leadership that transforms. These lessons are about guiding people toward improvement without resentment, resistance, or loss of dignity.

Here are the key principles:

  1. Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
  2. Call attention to mistakes indirectly.
  3. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing others.
  4. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
  5. Let the other person save face.
  6. Praise every improvement, no matter how small.
  7. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
  8. Use encouragement—make faults seem easy to correct.
  9. Make the other person happy about doing what you suggest.

Carnegie reminds us that leadership is less about authority and more about psychology. People rise to the reputation and encouragement you give them. Correcting with grace builds loyalty; leading with respect builds influence that endures.

🎥 Watch: Secrets of Success: Use Encouragement, Make the Fault Seem Easy to Correct – Dale Carnegie Training
This short training video dives deep into one of Carnegie’s most powerful lessons: making faults seem easy to correct. It shows how encouragement can transform criticism into motivation—an approach every leader and entrepreneur can apply today.

Secrets of Success: Use Encouragement, Make the Fault Seem Easy to Correct - Dale Carnegie Training

Step-by-Step Implementation:

  1. This week, start feedback conversations with genuine praise.
  2. When pointing out errors, share a time you made a similar mistake.
  3. Reframe corrections as opportunities: “You’re capable of mastering this.”
  4. Give one person a positive reputation to live up to—and tell them why you believe in them.
  5. Encourage small wins daily to build momentum.

Thought-Provoking Question:

How often do you use encouragement instead of criticism in your leadership style?

Task:

Choose one person in your team, business, or personal life. Apply Carnegie’s principle of beginning with praise, then guiding improvement through encouragement. Document how the dynamic changes over the next 7 days.

Conclusion:

Carnegie’s final lesson is clear: influence without empathy fails. When you lead with appreciation, respect, and encouragement, you inspire lasting growth. These principles don’t just win friends—they shape legacies.

Your turn: Which of these leadership principles will you apply this week—and how will you use it to elevate someone around you?

Buy How To Win Friends And Influence People on Amazon here.

Debbie Balfour | Real Estate Investing Success Coach + Podcast Host
📍 Website: www.DebbieBalfour.com
📧 Email: Debbie@DebbieBalfour.com
🔗 LinkedIn: Debbie Balfour
▶️ YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@DebbieBalfour

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