Are you working in an organization where leaders are good at persuading others? Do the leaders in your organization appeal to emotion first rather than logic or reason when attempting to influence others?

One of the most powerful questions one can ask oneself is Am I persuading by appealing first more to emotion than logic when persuading others? Emotionally intelligent leaders influence others by appealing to emotion. Are you effective at influencing people? Do you focus on appealing to the emotions of people? Are you inspiring people to achieve goals by emotionally engaging your people?

The Brain Science of Persuasive Powers

If we pay attention only to appealing to logic and reason when attempting to influence others, we will not unlock the full potential of our persuasive powers. Research on the brain during decision-making reveals that we respond to persuasive attempts either analytically or automatically.

Those who respond analytically use a reasoned evaluative approach to come to a decision, but this requires enormous energy. The brain uses up reserves of glucose and calories whenever it evaluates. And because it is human nature to conserve energy, most of us will not respond with the extra effort required to be analytical.

In fact, most people slip into automatic-response mode whenever possible. We avoid cognitive evaluation because it is hard work. This does not mean we are lazy; it is actually a primitive survival instinct. We automatically take the easy way to conserve energy in case we are attacked or threatened. That is why most people do not act on logic and reason. We make emotional decisions and then justify them with logic and reason.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become a transformational leader who persuades people by appealing to emotion. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.