﻿Welcome back and let´s continue.
In the first part of this unit, we have already seen influence.
And how influence can be achieved with models.
But there are more skills which are useful for leaders.
Now we are going to see what persuasion is.
Whenever an individual wants to exert social influence on others,
he or she will try to use persuasion. By using arguments and reasons,
we try to lead people to accept an idea. To become a leader,
one has to be a master of persuasion. Note that persuasive people tend to have
features that make them close. We perceive them as friendly.
They should also be polite and trustworthy.
And it is important that they know about what they are talking about.
Most of the work environments can be defined as VUCA:
Volatile – Uncertain Complex – and Ambiguous.
This forces organizations to change.
And to achieve that change, leaders must be persuasive.
Persuasion is a good way to cooperate with people towards a certain position.
Either in personal relationships or in business.
That’s why a previous preparation with the following ingredients is required:
First, it is necessary to establish credibility.
We can develop this credibility by working on our expertise and in our relationships.
A leader who wants to have credibility should be accessible
and able to be open to other opinions or suggestions.
Because, you can’t persuade others, if you don’t seem to be open
to be persuaded too. After listening to people, it is important
to create an environment where everybody feels that their opinions,
views and ideas are appreciated and taken into account.
Note that all the information and data, supporting
or against the leader's argument, should be collected.
The second part is to understand your audience.
If a leader wants to know his or her audience, it is important
to frame the leader’s objectives by identifying a common ground.
The leader's main goal is to find feasible benefits
that everybody can agree with.
Like when the leader is establishing his or her credibility.
This step needs a lot of conversations in order to have
all the important information by considering it through questions.
In this leadership process, the leader will tend to change
her or his initial reasoning and will try to include commitments.
It will also be necessary to identify the stakeholders and influencers
of the organization, as well as all the people
who make decisions, and show commitment with their shared objectives and vision.
The third step is to have a solid argument.
In order to do this, you as a leader, can reinforce your positions
with vivid language and compelling evidence.
The basis of persuasion is the exposure of rigorous data from various sources
and forms of presentation,
including graphics, images, arguments and examples.
Bring your posture to life using rich vivid language.
This reinforces and complements the data. In general, a seamless argument should:
Take into account facts and experiences, and be consistent with them.
Connect with the interests of the audience.
Do not leave any room for competitive alternatives.
Deal with and know the policies of the organization.
Have the support of third parties. And finally, a leader should be
a competent communicator. It is essential to connect emotionally.
When the audience shows a commitment to the ideas and emotions of the leader,
it is when a connection has been established between both parties.
Persuasive people manage to establish an appropriate emotional sense
with their audience, and they are able to change the tone to suit it.
Regardless the leader's position, she or he must connect emotionally
with her or his audience, so that they receive the message.
Usually, you work with cross-functional teams,
i. e., people of diverse origins and backgrounds who generally
do not welcome the authority of the past. Not to mention that due
to digital communications, the traditional face-to-face hierarchy
is undermined. Nowadays, people want to know
why to do a job, rather than what job to do.
An effective leader must be able to answer these "why's".
These four features will make leaders more persuasive.
And by applying influence and persuasion, they will also be more effective leaders.