By Joe Curcillo

As team members take their seats in the meeting room, Manager Tosser rises from his seat and begins to address the staff. He introduces a new program and explains that it will be marketed differently, and it will be implemented with a new structure. Team members grumble at the change, but Tosser explains and discusses how the next level of the program’s success will positively affect people in the room.

He begins to direct statements to staff members.

“If the budget remains steady, we will be implementing a program to support the local dog rescue. Ed and Anna, will I be able to get your help on that?” 

“Oh, and by the way,” he adds, “We are confidentially trying to arrange a nice party for the staff. It will depend on midyear budget totals, but I just thought you’d like to know.” 

As he continues, the tone of the meeting becomes more than a discussion as staff becomes excited and the room fills with energy.

It is apparent that Manager Tosser understands how to motivate his staff. As a student of Greek philosophy, he knows that Aristotle’s rhetoric is as relevant today as it was 2,500 years ago. The theory advanced by Aristotle includes three categories of focus when presenting a convincing argument: ethos, logos, and pathos.

• Ethos is the essence of your character. It is your charismatic appeal.
• Logos is the intellectual appeal. It is the logical factors or the truths that make up the foundation and structure of your presentation.
• Pathos is the emotional appeal. It is that which appeals to the wants and desires of the people who are listening; what it is they want to believe and what makes them happy.

Effective persuasion is accomplished when the speaker is able to understand the importance and depth of his or her own character, reason logically, and understand the emotions that motivate and inspire the listener. 

Character Appeal

Let us begin with ethos—your character. You must have character to successfully lead and convince others to follow. There are no exceptions. It is far easier to believe the words of a good person than a bad person. Character is in many instances the most effective means of persuasion that a person can possess.

In Tosser’s example, he has built credibility by working with his team members, getting to know them, and keeping them on track. If you do not remain consistent, your personality becomes a distraction that disrupts the flow and confuses the ultimate message.

If every time your team gets comfortable with you, and you change your personality, demeanor, or overall attitude, team members will have to reconsider their position as to whether they like you or not. The mental process will then be stuck in a rut, and they will be hard-pressed to give thought to your message.

How can you relate to your team?

• Share how you deal with rejection and the anguish of a week without a project being completed.
• Speak their language; be a real person. Talk to them, not down to them.
• Remind them of team accomplishments.
• Remind them of your experiences as you learned and grew in your profession.
• Know the services and benefits the organization offers.
• Be there to assist with better ways of relating to the needs of the residents.

While, at its core, the ability to trust is an emotional decision, people want to trust. If you do not have the character that people can embrace, your goal of being accepted will fail despite all the proof you can gather and all the emotion you can create.

Intellectual Appeal

Logos is the ability to present information in a coherent fashion and lead everyone to the same factual conclusion. If you give people enough acceptable and understandable information, the logical choice will be easier for them to make.

Accordingly, you give them the information they need to control their own decision-making process.  People will resist a position that is forced upon them. Education and learning are phenomenal copilots that allow you to guide people on the path you design; they are precursors to the logical choice.

Emotional Appeal

Last, and never to be overlooked, is pathos—the emotional state of the listener. People are much more responsive when they are happy than when they are miserable. Work on their hearts and minds in a positive and healthy way to be the person they look to for direction.

Find the positive triggers that will make team members emotionally ready to hear and believe that you know best. When that is done well, everyone wins.

The goal of a leader is to lead, not direct and order people to act. The more people want to follow you, the more success you will achieve. So, how do you get people to follow you? Be a solution to their problems.

Consider spending time listening to and observing those you lead. As you mingle, chat, and observe, pay attention to the needs of the team, and lead discussions as you search for the group’s mindset. Look for common truths that shape team members’ beliefs and thoughts. Frequently question their dreams and their beliefs to find a common thread. Then, speak with a focus on herding the hearts and minds of the team to bring members together as a cohesive unit.

Strike a Balance

A well-structured presentation—like a well-structured argument—must contain balanced proportions of character appeal, intellectual appeal, and emotional appeal. The measurements change from person to person and from task to task. For some, success is a matter of patience and practice. For others, it will flow as if it is their birthright.

For the majority of people, however, the art of convincing others requires a balance of their natural skills and learned techniques. The challenge will always be finding the balance that is right for you.

When you walk into a meeting, have your facts, charts, and statistics ready, but pay attention to the room and your audience. Put your commitment to the team first. Be ready to go with the flow. Allow them to come to you and be inspired to follow.