How to (Actually) Change Someone’s Mind

Much of leadership boils down to turning adversaries into allies. In this piece, the authors discuss three persuasion strategies leaders can employ when faced with a disagreement in the workplace: the Cognitive Conversation, which is best for convincing colleagues focused on the rational reasons behind a decision, the Champion Conversation, which is best for convincing colleagues with whom you have a strained relationship, and the Credible Colleague Approach, which is best for convincing someone who has preconceived notions that you’re unlikely to be able to change on your own. Armed with these three methods, leaders can modulate their arguments —in terms of both content and presentation — to maximize their chances of reaching an agreement and preserving a positive working relationship.