We live in the age of the meme. Communication is often reduced to a slogan, a swipe, or a sentence. Social media has trained us to value quick hits over considered arguments, and to mistake repetition for influence. In this environment, the art of persuasion – once essential to leadership and culture change – is quietly being eroded.

That erosion shows up in the workplace. Leaders often assume that once they’ve shared information, they’ve done their job. A policy is emailed. A strategy deck is presented. A town hall delivers key messages. And yet, nothing changes. People don’t behave differently. They’re not more engaged. Often, they don’t even remember what was said. The assumption that information equals impact is one of the great myths of modern organisational life.

The truth? Behaviour doesn’t change because people are informed. It changes because they are persuaded. And persuasion takes time, effort, and emotional intelligence. It starts not with telling, but with listening. Not with slides, but with stories. Not with slogans, but with empathy.

At its heart, persuasion is about connection. It’s about understanding how someone else sees the world – what they value, what they fear, what they hope for – and framing your message in a way that resonates. It’s the difference between saying “We’re doing this because the numbers say so” and saying, “Here’s how this change could help you do your best work.”

The advertising industry of the 20th century understood this well. The most effective campaigns didn’t simply deliver facts. They used empathy to understand what needed to shift in consumer behaviour. They balanced emotion and logic, and then wrapped it all in creativity to dramatise the message. The result? Mass persuasion – not through manipulation, but through resonance.

Too often, organisational communication mimics the brevity and shallowness of social media. But companies aren’t platforms; they’re communities. And communities need conversation. They need space to reflect, challenge, and connect. That’s where persuasion lives. Not in the headline, but in the dialogue that follows.

Persuasion is a leadership discipline. It demands more than clarity; it requires credibility, curiosity, and humility. Leaders must make the case, not just state it. They must engage resistance, acknowledge uncertainty, and show care. This isn’t soft leadership – it’s skilled, deliberate work that enables real change.

Empathy is the foundation. Not as a tactic but as a mindset. The willingness to understand others before asking them to change builds trust. Trust is what unlocks action.

In a world of oversimplified messages and quick-fire communications, it’s time to prioritise persuasion. Because if people aren’t persuaded, they’re not really with you. And no strategy succeeds without hearts as well as heads.