Ep 208. Jason Harris: The Soulful Art of Persuasian
“You can’t fake being a persuasive person, any more than you can fake being a great classical pianist, free-throw shooter, or neurosurgeon. But anyone can learn to be one.”
Jason Harris
Jason Harrisis is CEO of the creative agency Mekanism, which has been named to Ad Age's Agency A-list and twice to their Best Places to Work. He’s the author of a recent book called The Soulful Art of Persuasion. Jason works closely with brands using a blend of soul and science to create provocative campaigns that engage audiences. Those iconic brands include Peloton, Ben & Jerry's, MillerCoors, HBO, and the United Nations. He’s been named in the Top 10 Most Influential Social Impact Leaders, as well as the 4A's list of "100 People Who Make Advertising Great." His methods are studied in cases at Harvard Business School.
In this episode, Stew talks with Jason about building a trusting workplace culture and strengthening your reputation and your market power through persuasion, though Jason’s take on persuasion is not what most people think about when they picture what it means to be persuasive. He demonstrates with enlightening examples how the ability to persuade -- which we need in all parts of our lives -- results from being original, generous, empathetic, and soulful. And he provides super-practical tips for how to cultivate these qualities.
Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you’ve had a chance to listen to this episode: What might you try to say or do that would reveal more of yourself to others, whether at work or in some other part of your life, and thereby build greater trust in your world? Share your reactions and your suggestions for future episodes with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn.
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