Leading Reluctant People.

The article describes the peoplesmart strategies that leaders can use to communicate effectively and persuasively with those they wish to motivate and influence on the job, whether boss, peer, or subordinate. Resistance is always part of the picture in situations where one wants to influence the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others--which is what leadership is all about. Managers who get results induce reluctant people to buy in. Patience is a critical quality in persuasion. Faced with resistance, many people become anxious or impatient. People-smart communicators know that no matter how complex the topic, how great the time pressure, or what the mental state of the listener, they need to treat listeners as communication partners.