Leaders and Con Men: Should We Follow Their Example?

Con Men work in the shadows and employ every trick in the book to get people to do what they want.  As leaders, we’re trying to get people to do things, too.  So, is there really much difference between leaders and con men?  Is there anything we can learn from these evil-doers that we can put to use for the good?

Notes and Resources:

Prefer to read?  Here’s the full post:  Leaders and Con MenInfluence:  The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini on AmazonWays Con Men gain our trust:  Titles, Clothing, and Trappings“Enclothed Cognition” – the idea that the clothes we wear can put us in a different psychological state.For eight ways to convey a sense of authority in virtual meetings, check out Non-Verbal Skills for Virtual Team Leaders

Quotable: 

“Victims often raise a con artist’s fashion or style choices as a key part of how they formed sufficient trust to give away large sums of cash, keys to their apartments, and even love.”    – Sarah Treleaven

“We know the guy on TV trying to sell us medicine is not really a doctor, yet advertisers keep hanging stethoscopes around actor’s necks because it works.”  - Ken Downer

“There is a difference between leaders and con men.  Our purpose is to help others, not ‘help ourselves.’”  - Ken Downer 

Related posts: 

Crutch Phrases that Weaken our Leadership

Leadership Trust: The Secret to Achieving Impossible Things

Transformational Leadership: 5 Steps to a Brighter Future with Your Team

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Thanks for listening, and Lead On!