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18/03/2025

There was a lot of knowledge in that giant head.

5 min read

All modern business leaders—from Steve Jobs to Jeff Bezos—have something in common: Knowing how to persuade people.

Throughout this article, we’re going to look at one of the greatest minds of all time on persuasion. And with a little bit of pathos, ethos and logos, you’ll gain the influence needed to go right to the top.

And by the way—there’s a free treat for those who stay until the end.

Who is Aristotle?

So, who is Aristotle, why are we talking about him, and why should you trust his judgment?

Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle is one of the most influential thinkers in history. A student of Plato, his work still helps us understand the world around us today. Most of Aristotle’s work focused on observation and empirical evidence, with his best known being “The Nicomachean Ethics”.

“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives – choice, not chance, determines your destiny.”

However, Aristotle, “the father of Western logic”, also had a keen interest in art and human nature. On the topic of storytelling for leadership, there are two texts which are a must-read for any business leader: “Poetics” and “Rhetoric”.

We’re going to interrogate the latter to find out how to persuade people.

How to influence people according to Aristotle

In “Rhetoric”, Aristotle outlined three fundamentals for persuasion: ethos (the speaker’s credibility), pathos (the emotional appeal of the argument) and logos (the argument’s logic). Let’s expand on those points a little.

Ethos comes down to how much the “judge” trusts you. No matter the strength of your argument, you’ll be assessed for credibility. In a business context, the judge might infer this information through your confidence, reputation or physical appearance. Shallow? Somewhat. But trust is valuable capital that’s rarely given free. To enhance your leadership influence, you need to ensure your personal branding is appropriate to your responsibilities and position of authority.

Pathos is the emotional weight of an argument. According to Aristotle, wielding pathos is “to understand the emotions—that is, to name them and describe them, to know their causes and the way in which they are excited.” For all the logic in the world, your argument must connect with the judge on a deeper level. Using pathos helps you build trust based on what you have in common. In leadership, this could mean a willingness to share experiences from your own life, or personal challenges that will resonate with your team. Alternately, you can use pathos to excite, motivate or even instill fear. It all comes down to moving your audience in a useful way.

Logos is the logical side to your argument. Facts and figures. Numbers and charts. While most probably put too much of their focus on logos when building an argument, it’s nonetheless necessary. If anything, logos is the spine of the argument that leads to actionable outcomes. To lead in business, you need watertight plans in which others can put their faith.

“There are, then, these three means of effecting persuasion. The man who is to be in command of them must, it is clear, be able to reason logically, to understand human character and… to understand the emotions,” Aristotle.

All three combine to form Aristotle’s “rhetorical triangle”, whereby no argument can be truly effective without each aspect in balance. These principles are great to bear in mind for persuasive speeches or messages—which are crucial in leadership.

How to identify personality types

Now that we’ve explored Aristotle’s tools of persuasion, let’s dive deeper into understanding your audience. Remember, simply knowing the rhetorical triangle won’t be enough—you need to understand your judge’s “disposition”, too. Aristotle coined this term in reference to behavioral tendencies. In identifying someone’s disposition, you predict which of the three forms of persuasion will be most effective.

What we now call “personality types” have much of their root in Aristotle’s theory of dispositions. Anger, fear, generosity or calmness are some traits which guide how a person responds to the world. Each individual will naturally incline towards a specific set of emotional states. Here’s a tip—consider looking into Carl Jung’s “cognitive functions”. His theory expands on how individuals gather information (through sensing or intuition) or make decisions (through thought or feeling). By understanding your judge’s tendencies, you can present your ethos, pathos or logos in the right way.

Let’s imagine you’re leading a team. Different stakeholders have different priorities and reasoning. One is pragmatic while the other is excitable. A great lesson in leadership? Tailor your message to each team-member. It’s a sure-fire way to get buy-in on your ideas. Not that you should see leadership as a battle with your colleagues, but Sun Tzu put it perfectly in his text “The Art of War”:

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles; If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat; If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

How to persuade people: Making the sale

When it comes to persuading people in business, Aristotle’s theory has plenty of practical uses. His rules are just as applicable in marketing, design and branding. Let me explain.

Through logos, you present factual information as to why your product is the best. With pathos, you craft a narrative that appeals to the consumer’s needs. And your ethos comes through in branding. Customers are interested in your track record, ethical values or reputation in comparison to competition.

By applying Aristotle’s principles, you’ll have all the ingredients needed for a successful business strategy.

How to improve leadership skills with persuasion

Want to improve your leadership skills through the power of persuasion? You’re in luck. On April 29th, we’re hosting an online leadership talk with Balvinder Powar. Balvinder is CEO at Unfoldwork.com and Founding Partner, Board Member and Director at BOOSTER Space Industries and AERDRON. He’s also an adjunct professor and business mentor at IE Business School. Good use of ethos, right?

The event is totally free and online, so you can participate from anywhere in the world. You’ll delve into philosophy by Aristotle, persuasion techniques from Robert Cialdini, and the art of effective communication. You can then participate in a live Q&A discussion to solve all your doubts.

Take a look at our full IE Events page and see where you can deepen your knowledge. It’s informative, it’s free and it’s a good use of a spare hour!

Now, it’s time for you to take your leadership skills to the next level. Fill in the form below to stay in touch, and follow the CTA link to save your spot today.