Why do you need to be a persuasive leader?

Persuasion is an essential skill for any leader. You must be able to share a compelling vision and inspire people to change. All without them feeling coerced or manipulated.

In this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, I discuss how to become a more persuasive leader with these five tips, plus some bonus advice!

1. Use positive language: positive language is more inclusive and inspiring than negative language.
2. Know what you are talking about: credibility matters, and if you want to persuade people to see something your way or make a change, you better know what you are asking them to do.
3. Listen carefully: the power of persuasion isn’t only about convincing. It’s about listening, too. People are more likely to be persuaded when they feel seen and heard.
4. Ask questions: when you ask questions, you gain a deeper understanding of peoples’ perceptions, concerns and resistance, which you can then address.
5. Be willing to compromise: give and always take matters when getting people on board with a new idea or change.

Bonus tip: always follow up with people when persuading them to make changes or get on board with your idea. People often need time to process and might have questions or new feelings of resistance after sleeping on it.

Question of the Week

This week’s question comes from LinkedIn. “Kerry, what is one thing you are doing to ensure StoneAge’s success in facing all the global uncertainty?”

My answer: being agile and responsive. Listen in the find out why.

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