Mastering Persuasion: Lessons for Young Leaders

A note to young leaders.

When it comes to business skills, there are none greater than the art of persuasion.

If you can persuade people of your point of view, you can raise more money, do more deals, attract better talent – and do it all on better and friendlier terms.

So how do you become more persuasive?

Here’s what the late, great John Caldon, former Deputy MD of Macquarie Group taught me about persuasion:

“The key to persuasion is to enter the conversation already taking place in the other person’s mind.”

“And that’s far more about listening than it is about talking. Listening not just to their words, but noticing their facial expressions and body language.”

When I was in meetings with John, if I so much as raised my eyebrows or grinned – he would, mid-sentence, adjust his message and either confirm (“I know, it’s very surprising, isn’t it, Adam?”) or he would seek clarification (“Do you agree with that, Adam?”)

More often than not, John had his listeners nodding and smiling – and that’s more than half way to doing a deal.