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Writer's pictureSorina I. Crisan, PhD
Sep 296 min read

How Persuasion Will Improve Your Career: A Practical Guide

At Persuasive Discourse, each long-form interview with global leaders and experts offers valuable insights into how persuasion has contributed to their professional success and its impact on their respective industries. This guide presents ten actionable steps for career self-improvement, all centered on leveraging the power of persuasion. Inspired by the advice and career journeys of six recent interviewees from Germany, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA, it provides real-world examples and practical tips you can apply to your own life and career.


The first part outlines key steps across five themes: Leadership and Team Building, Professional Growth, Organizational Change and Inclusivity, Communication and Trust-Building, and Innovation. In the second part, we dive deeper, featuring quotes from each expert alongside practical steps they’ve taken—actions you can consider for your own career.


This guide aims to (1) highlight how persuasion shapes success, (2) inspire reflection on how persuasion impacts your life, and (3) help you harness it for personal and professional growth. When used ethically, persuasion can transform leadership, foster growth, promote inclusivity, and spark innovation.


How Persuasion Will Improve Your Career. A Practical Guide. Persuasive Discourse. Sorina Crisan Matthey de l'Endroit, PhD.

Note: This article is based on excerpts from interviews published by Persuasive Discourse, between February 2024 and August 2024.


10 Key Steps for Career Self-Improvement Using Persuasion


I. Leadership & Team Building

  1. Create a Shared Vision

  2. Listen and Delegate Smartly

  3. Lead with Authenticity and Authority


II. Professional Growth & Personal Development

4. Overcome Personal Fears Through Mentorship

5. Master the Art of Persuasion for Funding


III. Organizational Change & Inclusivity

6. Promote Diversity and Inclusion

7. Foster Complementarity Across Teams


IV. Communication & Trust-Building

8. Build Trust Through Reflexive Communication

9. Embrace Humility in Ethical Decision-Making


V. Entrepreneurship & Innovation

10. Sell Your Ideas Effectively as an Entrepreneur


A Practical Guide: 10 Actionable Career Tips with Real Life Examples


I. LEADERSHIP & TEAM BUILDING


  1. Create a Shared Vision


Tip: To be a successful leader, you need to persuade others to buy into a collective vision. This allows everyone to align their efforts and move toward common goals.


Example & Action Step: Joseph S. Nye Jr., renowned political theorist and former Dean at Harvard Kennedy School, emphasized this when managing academic teams: “The ability to persuade others and bring them along in the vision that you have” is crucial. Nye organized retreats and collaborative projects to unify his faculty under shared goals.


Find more in the full interview: here.


  1. Listen and Delegate Smartly


Tip: Success in leadership relies on listening closely and delegating tasks to capable team members.


Example & Action Step: Nye shares that “the first piece of advice is to listen… surround yourself with capable people.” His leadership approach at the Kennedy School emphasized empowering staff and faculty through delegation.


Find more in the full interview: here.


  1. Lead with Authenticity and Authority


Tip: Leadership must come from a place of authenticity, particularly when overcoming challenges tied to gender or authority dynamics.


Example & Action Step: Patsy Rodenburg OBE, voice coach and teacher, states: “Women tend to prioritize being liked over being themselves and expressing their true thoughts,” especially in leadership roles. Rodenburg works to help women express their true voice in leadership.


Find more in the full interview: here.


II. PROFESSIONAL GROWTH & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT


  1. Overcome Personal Fears Through Mentorship


Tip: Personal and career growth often comes when mentors push us to tackle challenging tasks that we might not attempt on our own.


Example & Action Step: Margareta Kiener Nellen, attorney and former politician, recalls her experience as a young intern: “The people around me who persuaded me to go and plead before the court… really strengthened my own resolve.” This mentorship and guidance from her work peers allowed her to overcome her fears and build a successful legal career.


Find more in the full interview: here.


  1. Master the Art of Persuasion for Funding


Tip: Persuasion is crucial when applying for funding, as you need to convince institutions or investors to support your work.


Example & Action Step: Dr. Elisa Cugliana, a digital humanities professor, explains that she believes persuasion is crucial, especially “When I need to request money to continue funding my project, I need to have a product that is attractive to those I am asking for support from.” This highlights the need for scholars and professionals to persuade grant committees of the value of their projects.


Find more in the full interview: here.


III. ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE & INCLUSIVITY


  1. Promote Diversity and Inclusion


Tip: Persuading your organization to embrace diversity can help foster innovation and create a more inclusive work environment.


Example & Action Step: Nye implemented significant changes during his time as Dean of Harvard Kennedy School to increase gender diversity: Together with his team he increased the“female proportion of the student body, faculty, and staff… while ensuring political balance.”


Find more in the full interview: here.


  1. Foster Complementarity Across Teams


Tip: Encouraging collaboration between different roles and departments helps organizations work more effectively as a whole.


Example & Action Step: Caroline Vuillemin, General Director of Fondation Hirondelle, emphasizes how she convinced journalists to embrace reflexive practices: “Persuasion plays a huge role in the media sector, and especially in international development and humanitarian work. While these are different sectors, one of the key aspects I focus on, in which persuasion plays a role, is emphasizing the importance of complementarity. Media isn’t just about journalists; it involves support staff, fundraising, monitoring, and measuring impact. Reflecting on and improving our work helps build trust with our audience and attract more donors.” This helped transform her media organization into a more cohesive unit.


Find more in the full interview: here.


IV. COMMUNICATION & TRUST-BUILDING


  1. Build Trust Through Reflexive Communication


Tip: Persuading others to trust you requires transparency and openness to feedback, ensuring that communication is not one-sided.


Example & Action Step: Vuillemin advocates for reflexive communication: “To rebuild trust… we need to evaluate our work, accept feedback, and be willing to improve.” This mindset led her organization to build stronger relationships with its audience and donors.


Find more in the full interview: here.


  1. Embrace Humility in Ethical Decision-Making


Tip: Ethical persuasion means accepting that you are part of a larger system and that your impact might not always be immediately visible.


Example & Action Step: Vuillemin advises, “It is crucial to avoid doing harm, stay true to the facts, and acknowledge that our work is only one part of a larger chain.” Humility helps maintain ethical standards in complex environments like media and humanitarian work.


Find more in the full interview: here.


V. ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION


  1. Sell Your Ideas Effectively as an Entrepreneur


Tip: As an entrepreneur, success depends on not only developing a great product but also persuading others to use it.


Example & Action Step: Sergio Estupiñán, co-founder of education startup Beekee, explains, “Persuasion is essential… it’s not just about creating things that solve problems, but also about convincing people that your product is what they need.” This shows how critical persuasion is to business growth.


Find more in the full interview: here.


Concluding Remarks:


By following these 10 steps, professionals across industries can harness the power of persuasion to advance their careers, foster stronger collaborations, and lead with purpose and clarity. For further insights, you can explore these interviews in full through the provided links.

Thank you for reading.


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Sannia Abdullah Close, PhD. Interview for Persuasive Discourse, by Sorina I. Crisan PhD. Photo from the Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) webpage.

Sorina Crisan – Matthey de l'Endroit, PhD


Researcher, Analyst, Interviewer, Podcaster, & Writer in International Relations & Related Fields


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Illustrations by: The main article photo is obtained for free, thanks of Canva photo gallery. Dr. Crisan – Matthey de l'Endroit’s profile photo is made available by Konstantin Kleine Photography.

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