Three Pillars of Persuasion
Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are all considerations in influencing others. These should be top of mind when we get up in the morning and go about our daily routine whether that is selling, leading, speaking, or managing others.
Ethos is loosely translated as establishing one's credibility.
When attempting to persuade or influence others, establishing your credibility is essential. The idea of street cred is common vernacular. We establish credibility one individual and one moment at a time, whether it be with our kids, our colleagues, our boss, or our clients. Credibility comes from past actions; in my situation work experience, life, and even degrees earned. Some questions to contemplate:
What gives you credibility with those you are attempting to persuade or influence?
How can you increase your credibility?
Pathos is an appeal to the emotional side of an individual.
Stories are great ways to get at someone's emotions. All societies from the beginning of time, learn via stories. When I took my first job out of college I moved to the Greenbrier Hotel and Resort in West Virginia. It was a Remarkable setting for this western Kansas farm boy; six-foot chandeliers, 700-seat dining room, china, glass, and silver sparkling on every table, the staff impeccably dressed in black and white uniforms, the maitre d’ in tuxedo, and the violinist and pianist filling the expansive space with sublime dinner music. Interestingly, the busboy who served me my first dinner is now the Director of Food and Beverage!
This short story hopefully creates feelings. What feelings do you experience? Curiosity, amusement, fascination, boredom, or is it something else? It is imperative to understand our own emotions in order to influence others by appealing to their emotions.
How can you better express your own emotions? What might you do to get others to lean into their emotions? If you have difficulty putting your own emotions into words consider using the Junto Emotion Wheel as a guide.
Logos is our appeal to the logical aspects of an individual.
It is in essence a path where event plus reaction equals outcome (E+R=O), or A+B=C. Logos is what “any reasonable individual” would conclude from the same set of facts. However, keep in mind that your logic is not always the other person's logic. If it were, we would all make perfect mutually agreed-upon decisions.
Think about politics for a moment. Logically I think everyone should vote for Candidate X. It just makes sense. They are better qualified than Candidate Y, as is evident from the following facts.
However, as is apparent by the political division in the US and around the world, what is logical from my perspective is not logical from everyone’s point of view. How might you appeal to the logic of others and not allow your own perspective to get in the way? What is an area that seems logical to you that is hard to grasp by others?
As you build a relationship with an individual it is imperative that you understand whether an individual is more of a Pathos or Logos decision maker. Do they tend to let their emotions lead or do they analyze problems logically?
Realize that this is a sliding scale not a static point. It is also situational. I am Logos decision-maker with my investment of money and Pathos decision-maker with my investment of time with family and friends.
Consider a few questions:
How do you typically make decisions?
What will most likely influence you and your colleagues more, pathos or logos?
As you consider how you influence or persuade others, lean into Ethos, Pathos, and Logos and thank Aristotle (the first to posit these ideas) for this succinct and valuable tool.
