A different Approach to Leadership

A Different Approach to Leadership
A tangential approach to leadership, but one I find very powerful, is the Ancient Greeks approach towards Rhetoric – the art of influencing.
Leadership is all about influence. Influence is determined by Ethos + Pathos + Logos.
Ethos reflects integrity, values, character, conduct. Foundational, in the sense that if someone we think lacks these wants us do do something for him / her (influence), we are highly unlikely to do so, without some form of coercion.
Pathos reflects sympathy, empathy, care, concern – i.e the leader must have the best interests of his followers at heart, and this must be evident to them. Many times, we have people who are ok on ethos, but we believe they act exclusively in their own self interest, and we resist on this count.
Finally Logos – the proposed plan or action must appeal to our sense of logic and reasoning.
If a leader gets Ethos, Pathos and Logos right, there is very little resistance to people following. What I find fascinating is the sequence
Ethos first,
Then Pathos,
Then Logos.
Very often we seek to convince on logical grounds, and find people resisting – question to ponder – something missing on the Pathos front? On the other hand, with close friends and people we trust, relationships etc. – we sometimes go along with what they ask, even if we are not fully convinced in our minds.