Buy-In

John P. Kotter and Lorne A. Whitehead argue that good ideas often die in meetings, killed by confusing questions, inane comments and verbal attacks, and that everyone who would have benefited loses as a result. Their remedy is to recognize the generic attack strategies that naysayers use again and again, and to answer each with a tailored response. Rather than avoiding or trying to silence critics, they advise inviting them in, engaging them respectfully and standing firm with simple, convincing replies. A fictional story shows the attacks in action, and the authors then set out counterstrategies for each category, among them death by delay, confusion, fearmongering and character assassination.

Bucur's Shelter Hostel co-founder Irina Botnari, a self-described marketing and strategy addict, named it among her picks along with Outliers and The E-Myth.