• Harvard Business Press
• RRP $40.00
A worthy publication and full of well-researched and presented arguments, The Persuasive Leader is nonetheless little heavy. Yes, obviously you’d expect that from the Harvard Business Review, but while one or two essays/articles might inspire, this book is only for the seriously committed. Its premise is that more and more companies are shifting from command-and-control hierarchies to flat management structures and that in order to get work done through others under these new conditions (which is the central job of manager), it is necessary to excel at persuading others.
Claiming to reveal techniques for managers/leaders wanting to hone their persuasive powers, such as: ways to strengthen your credibility and connect emotionally with others; how to appeal to six deeply rooted human needs in crafting your proposals; and, how to motivate people to give their best on the job, it was all bit much really. I dipped in and out of the executive summaries but failed to finish the whole book
