PRODUCER’S NOTE: In the movie Margin Call, the successful and extravagantly paid CEO of an investment bank tells one of his disheartened sales managers, “You and I are alike. We are both just a couple of salesmen.” Persuasion – the act of selling – is as much a part of leadership as anything else. #persuasion #careercoach #CareerMyth #selling
In what I think is an effective ad, the Chairman of Viking Cruise Line, Torsten Hagen, shares three principles ground in him while growing up in a little red house on the edge of a large Norwegian forest: To be kind, to be honest, and to work hard.
Over time, Mr. Hagen said he added a fourth: to be curious – to travel and explore new places and cultures.
These are four great qualities on which to build a good life.
I want to add a fifth: be persuasive.
If you aspire to be a successful leader, persuasion is essential.
Too often, leaders think that having all the facts that support an idea will guarantee sustainable success. It does not.
Like a debate competition, being right does not mean you will win.
You must persuade people that your idea is the best.