--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only way to get people to do anything…" description: "\"“The only way to get people to do anything is to recognize their importance and thereby make them feel important. Every person's deepest lifelong desir..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/keith-ferrazzi-15007_deepest-life_the-only-way-to-get-people-to-do-anythin_1174855.jpg" --- # The only way to get people to do anything is to recognize… ![“The only way to get people to do anything is to recognize their importance and thereby make them feel important. Every person's deepest lifelong desire is to be significant and to be recognized.” quote by Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/keith-ferrazzi-15007_deepest-life_the-only-way-to-get-people-to-do-anythin_1174855.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/keith-ferrazzi-15007_deepest-life_the-only-way-to-get-people-to-do-anythin_1174855.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/keith-ferrazzi-15007_deepest-life_the-only-way-to-get-people-to-do-anythin_1174855.jpg) > ““The only way to get people to do anything is to recognize their importance and thereby make them feel important. Every person's deepest lifelong desire is to be significant and to be recognized.”” [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People are motivated by feeling valued; recognizing their importance unlocks cooperation and commitment. **In simple terms:** Make people feel important to inspire action. Key Takeaway Show genuine appreciation. Themes motivation leadership recognition Mood encouraging respectful Type inspirational leadership When to use this quote - team meetings - customer service - mentorship - volunteer coordination Key Concepts psychology social influence Questions to Reflect On - How can you authentically acknowledge others? - What impact does feeling valued have on performance? A Different Perspective If appreciation feels insincere, it can backfire. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deepest life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deepest-life-44147/) [Feel Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-important/) [Importance Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance-make-3420495/) [Important person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-person/) [Lifelong Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifelong-desire-3420494/) [Recognize Importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognize-importance-1792194/) ## Related quotes > [It is possible at any age to discover a lifelong desire you never knew you had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/it-is-possible-at-any-age-to-discover-a-lifelong-desire-you-never/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [The unvarnished truth is that almost all the people you meet feel themselves superior to you in some way, and a sure way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/the-unvarnished-truth-is-that-almost-all-the-people-you-meet-feel/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [I am always loath to assign goalkeepers too much importance, but you have to make an exception for the greats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scholes/i-am-always-loath-to-assign-goalkeepers-too-much-importance-but-you/) [Paul Scholes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scholes/) > [I believe that the performance of my actors is of utmost importance to make a good film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-kapur/i-believe-that-the-performance-of-my-actors-is-of-utmost-importance/) [Pankaj Kapur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-kapur/) > [“Through discussions, reading, contemplation, and practice I've come to recognize the importance of subtle feelings and symbols. By paying attention to subtle energy, typically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ireland/through-discussions-reading-contemplation-and-practice-i-ve-come-to/) [Mark Ireland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ireland/) > [Much like anyone with too much time on his or her hands, I feel as though I am the most important person on earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macaulay-culkin/much-like-anyone-with-too-much-time-on-his-or-her-hands-i-feel-as/) [Macaulay Culkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macaulay-culkin/) > [The deepest life of nature is silent and obscure; so often the elements that move and mould society are the results of the sister's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/the-deepest-life-of-nature-is-silent-and-obscure-so-often-the/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) > [“The essence of the hero’s journey is: How do you live a meaningful life? What is the deepest life you are called to? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-gilligan/the-essence-of-the-hero-s-journey-is-how-do-you-live-a-meaningful/) [Stephen Gilligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-gilligan/) > [“Coming face to face with our dharma, our deepest life calling, scares most of us completely shitless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mctear/coming-face-to-face-with-our-dharma-our-deepest-life-calling-scares/) [Amy McTear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mctear/) > [We tend to think of the erotic as an easy, tantalizing sexual arousal. I speak of the erotic as the deepest life force, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/we-tend-to-think-of-the-erotic-as-an-easy-tantalizing-sexual-arousal/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [He who breathes deepest lives most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/he-who-breathes-deepest-lives-most/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [She was very near hating him now; yet the sound of his voice, the way the light fell on his thin, dark hair, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/she-was-very-near-hating-him-now-yet-the-sound-of-his-voice-the-way/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [“Debarred from public worship, David was heartsick. Ease he did not seek, honour he did not covet, but the enjoyment of communion with God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/debarred-from-public-worship-david-was-heartsick-ease-he-did-not-seek/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [I believe if everyone fulfilled their deepest life purpose, the world would work perfectly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/i-believe-if-everyone-fulfilled-their-deepest-life-purpose-the-world/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [Love will found you, You just have to feel it and Most important share it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/love-will-found-you-you-just-have-to-feel-it-and-most-important-share/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) ## More by Keith Ferrazzi > [Match your goals with the people who can make them happen and start building the relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/match-your-goals-with-the-people-who-can-make-them-happen-and-start/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [“real networking was about finding ways to make other people more successful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/real-networking-was-about-finding-ways-to-make-other-people-more/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [“Relationships are all there is. Everything in the universe only exists because it is in relationship to everything else. Nothing exists in isolation. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/relationships-are-all-there-is-everything-in-the-universe-only-exists/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [You won't build relationships unless you let your guard down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/you-won-t-build-relationships-unless-you-let-your-guard-down/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [Success in any field, but especially in business is about working with people, not against them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/success-in-any-field-but-especially-in-business-is-about-working-with/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [Life is less a quest than a quilt. We find meaning, love, and prosperity through the process of stitching together our bold attempts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/life-is-less-a-quest-than-a-quilt-we-find-meaning-love-and-prosperity/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [“His statement flew in the face of everything I knew. He thought of relationships as finite, like a pie that could only be cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/his-statement-flew-in-the-face-of-everything-i-knew-he-thought-of/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [“The problem, as I see it, isn't what you're working on, it's whom you're working with. You can't feel in love with your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/the-problem-as-i-see-it-isn-t-what-you-re-working-on-it-s-whom-you-re/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [I’ve come to believe that connecting is one of the most important business—and life—skill sets you’ll ever learn. Why? Because, flat out, people do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/i-ve-come-to-believe-that-connecting-is-one-of-the-most-important/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [Life is about work. Work is about life. And both are about people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/life-is-about-work-work-is-about-life-and-both-are-about-people/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [I’ll sum up the key to success in one word: generosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/i-ll-sum-up-the-key-to-success-in-one-word-generosity/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [Business is a human enterprise, driven and determined by people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/business-is-a-human-enterprise-driven-and-determined-by-people/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [When you help someone through a health issue, positively impact someone's personal wealth, or take a sincere interest in their children, you engender life-bonding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/when-you-help-someone-through-a-health-issue-positively-impact/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [I believe that every conversation you have is an invitation to risk revealing the real you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/i-believe-that-every-conversation-you-have-is-an-invitation-to-risk/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [“Our careers aren't paths so much as landscapes that are navigated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/our-careers-aren-t-paths-so-much-as-landscapes-that-are-navigated/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) [Explore all 44 Keith Ferrazzi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) ## More Deepest life quotes > [She was very near hating him now; yet the sound of his voice, the way the light fell on his thin, dark hair, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/she-was-very-near-hating-him-now-yet-the-sound-of-his-voice-the-way/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [The deepest life of nature is silent and obscure; so often the elements that move and mould society are the results of the sister's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/the-deepest-life-of-nature-is-silent-and-obscure-so-often-the/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) > [I believe if everyone fulfilled their deepest life purpose, the world would work perfectly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/i-believe-if-everyone-fulfilled-their-deepest-life-purpose-the-world/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [“Debarred from public worship, David was heartsick. Ease he did not seek, honour he did not covet, but the enjoyment of communion with God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/debarred-from-public-worship-david-was-heartsick-ease-he-did-not-seek/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [He who breathes deepest lives most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/he-who-breathes-deepest-lives-most/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [We tend to think of the erotic as an easy, tantalizing sexual arousal. I speak of the erotic as the deepest life force, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/we-tend-to-think-of-the-erotic-as-an-easy-tantalizing-sexual-arousal/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“Coming face to face with our dharma, our deepest life calling, scares most of us completely shitless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mctear/coming-face-to-face-with-our-dharma-our-deepest-life-calling-scares/) [Amy McTear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mctear/) > [“The essence of the hero’s journey is: How do you live a meaningful life? What is the deepest life you are called to? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-gilligan/the-essence-of-the-hero-s-journey-is-how-do-you-live-a-meaningful/) [Stephen Gilligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-gilligan/) [Browse all 9 Deepest life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deepest-life-44147/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The only way to get people to do anything is to recognize their importance and thereby make them feel important. Every person's deepest lifelong desire is to be significant and to be recognized.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Keith Ferrazzi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/the-only-way-to-get-people-to-do-anything-is-to-recognize-their/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Deepest life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/the-only-way-to-get-people-to-do-anything-is-to-recognize-their/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/keith-ferrazzi-15007_deepest-life_the-only-way-to-get-people-to-do-anythin_1174855.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/keith-ferrazzi-15007_deepest-life_the-only-way-to-get-people-to-do-anythin_1174855.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/keith-ferrazzi-15007_deepest-life_the-only-way-to-get-people-to-do-anythin_1174855.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only way to get people to do anything is to recognize their importance and thereby make them feel…” — Keith Ferrazzi", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Keith Ferrazzi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The only way to get people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/the-only-way-to-get-people-to-do-anything-is-to-recognize-their/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/the-only-way-to-get-people-to-do-anything-is-to-recognize-their/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```