Persuasion and Leadership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Persuasion and Leadership - Research Paper Example This names them natural leaders. It is important to note that persuasion does not work in all situations of leadership (Jay, 1998). At times, people need coercion application of authority to do something. The objective of this research paper is to explore the magnitude of the importance of persuasion in leadership practice. Abstract Persuasion is very essential in leadership because human beings are emotional by nature. People who experience positive heightened emotionality can perform complicated tasks within a short period of time as compared to those who experience negative emotionality. Therefore, people need to be persuaded so that they can achieve full control of their emotions. Persuasion is not relevant for all forms and styles of leadership, since there are different principles and procedure in doing something. This paper will cover all categories of persuasion and how they are applied in leadership context. Further it will explore different strategies of persuasion leadersh ip and demonstrate how persuasion works to make leadership a successful exercise. Leadership is highly praised by people. When people talk, they refer to the best leaders who have ever lived at this planet and who left memorable legacy in their hearts. Such leaders include Martin Luther King Junior, Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela. Their legacy will live on in the hearts of their supporters long after their death for their good deeds (Kathleen 1998). These leaders were in charge of the groups they were leading; through their inspiration great goals were accomplished. Although these leaders faced plenty of criticisms from their opposers and those who doubted them, they developed a tough skin that could not be penetrated by those critics. They all remained focused on their targets and eventually got the best results. The other key concept in this paper is persuasion which entails altering the minds of individuals to make up-to-the-minute decisions . Leaders essentially communicate their ideas through persuasion. They persuade individuals to toil together, to attain results that are beyond their capacities which seemed impossible to accomplish (Kathleen 1998). This was made possible by making the workers to temporarily suspend their own interests to allow room for the attainment of less personal organizational goals. Research has proved that emotions are fundamental in decision making. People who have their part of the brain that deals with emotions incapacitated cannot make sound decisions. Therefore, emotions make it possible for us to think and decide the best action to take in every situation (Freedman, 1966). Emotions act like code that we use to store our experiences and make it possible to retrieve that information in times of need. Persuasion is the pillar of leadership, decision making and altering minds; therefore, emotional processes are central for the actions of leaders who are successful. In addition, leaders req uire a competent intellectual capacity to be able to deal with emotionally-laden arguments from their followers (Freedman, 1966). It is very essential for a leader to understand their own emotional reactions and tendencies to be in a position to evoke and control emotional responses in other people. Good leaders apply persuasion in their practice of leading others (Mike 2011). To achieve this