A study out of UC Berkeley found that top performers all have one thing in common: an ability to persuade others.
UC Berkeley management professor Morten Hansen discovered through conducting this study that those leaders who rise to the top of an organization are all skilled at persuasion. The study – which looked at 5,000 successful employees and managers over a five-year time period – identified three ways top performers convince people of their ideas.
These tactics, highlighted in a post by keynote speaker, communication adviser and author Carmine Gallo, include:
- Make them upset and excited. One tactic to winning people over happens on an emotional level. Hansen found that those who are skilled at persuasion have people reflect on a shared frustration and then follow up by offering a solution to the problem.
- Show it (don't just tell it). Persuasive people use props, photos and/or demonstrations to get their point across – it is much more memorable and impactful.
- Make them feel purpose. Hansen found that those who can help others find and understand the overarching purpose to their roles and daily tasks stand apart from other leaders.
These tactics directly relate to our communication skills. Getting people to buy into our ideas is all about how well we communicate those ideas. Improving our communication will not only make us better leaders but can help elevate our organizations – through better customer service, employee satisfaction and more fluid collaboration.
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