Master how to friend.

If you want to become wildly popular, deeply loved, and universally adored... you don’t need to read a dozen leadership books or memorize 50 networking hacks.

You just need to be more like a dog.

Yes. A dog. Four legs. Fur. Unparalleled emotional intelligence.

In his timeless book How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie points out something profound: if you want to learn how to love people, take notes from the best people-lover the world has ever known—the dog. Not a motivational speaker. Not a philosopher. Not your Aunt Susan with the 3,000 Facebook friends. A dog.

And really... he’s not wrong.

Think about it. When you walk into your house at the end of a long day, your dog doesn’t hit you with complaints or judgment. No, your dog loses its entire mind with joy. Tail wagging. Tongue flopping. Whole-body wiggling. That dog is SO EXCITED to see you.

And you didn’t even do anything special.

The Two-Month Trick

Carnegie also wrote something that flips the switch on how most people approach relationships:“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”

Let’s be honest—we’ve all had that friend (or been that friend) who treats conversations like auditions for a TED Talk. But here’s the truth: people aren’t looking to be impressed. They’re looking to be seen.

When you approach people with genuine curiosity, when you ask about their lives, their stories, their weird hobbies or how they take their coffee... they feel known. They light up. And just like that, you’ve made a connection.

Dogs are great at this. They don’t try to show you their résumé or tell you about their latest side hustle. They sniff you (maybe a little too enthusiastically), then they sit and listen with those big eyes and that unblinking devotion. They make you feel like you’re the most important person in the world.

What if we did that more often?

The Secret Sauce: Interest, Not Impressive

Being interesting is overrated. Being interested is magic.

You don’t need a fancy degree or a thousand LinkedIn connections to change someone’s day. You just need to pay attention. Ask real questions. Remember names. Follow up.

Be the kind of person who notices when someone’s voice drops just a little lower than usual, or who sends the “Hey, just thinking of you” text that hits at exactly the right time.

That’s influence. Quiet, steady, and wildly effective.

And spoiler alert: it’s also contagious.

Love as Leverage (The Good Kind)

Loving people isn’t a soft skill. It’s a superpower.

It’s how cultures are built.

It’s how teams go from surviving to thriving.

It’s how ordinary days become extraordinary ones.

When you love people and look for ways to add value to their live - whether through a kind word, a helpful gesture, or just being present - you’re doing something that’s both rare and noble. You’re using your limited time on Earth to lift others up.

And here’s the kicker. Influence earned through love doesn’t fade. It multiplies.

Think about it. The person you encouraged may go on to encourage five more people. The kindness you showed during someone’s worst week may ripple through their relationships, their work, even their parenting.

That’s legacy. That’s leverage. That’s love doing what only love can do.

Lessons from the Leash

Let’s go back to our furry professor—the dog.

Here are just a few people-loving habits you can borrow from the dog playbook:

• Greet people like you’ve been waiting all day just for them. Enthusiasm is magnetic. You don’t have to bark (unless that’s your thing), but show people they matter when they walk into your space.

• Offer comfort, not solutions. When someone’s down, your dog doesn’t hand you a checklist. They curl up next to you and just stay. Be that person.

• Be loyal, even when it’s inconvenient. Dogs don’t care if it’s 3 a.m. or if you’ve had a bad hair day. They show up. Do the same for your people.

• Celebrate the little things. A walk? Ecstasy. A treat? Euphoria. A belly rub? Transcendence. Learn to delight in the simple and reflect that joy back to others.

• Love first, ask questions later. Dogs don’t wait for you to prove your worth. They love first. They believe the best. That’s not naive. It’s generous.

  
  

What It Means to Be "People-Rich"

Success is often measured by numbers: bank accounts, followers, productivity metrics. But a truly rich life? That’s measured by relationships.

Being people-rich means walking into rooms where you’re known, missed, and valued. It means having a community of people who show up because you’ve shown up for them. It means creating a wake of kindness and impact wherever you go.

And dogs? They figured this out centuries ago.

They don’t have social media. They don’t have five-year plans. But somehow, they’ve cracked the code on human connection better than most humans.

Make Good of the Time You Have

At the end of the day, we don’t get to keep the stuff we collect.

The titles, the achievements, the shiny things...they fade. But the love we give, the people we impact, the lives we touch...that’s what lingers.

Choosing to love people and add value to their lives might just be one of the most meaningful things you can do with your time here. It’s simple, but it isn’t small.

So if you’re wondering how to make friends, how to lead better, how to build something that matters...

Start with love.

Start with listening.

Start like a dog.

Now go wag your tail at someone today.

+todd