It is a slightly cryptic clue. I love the way you just have to have a peak at my blog when I come up with an interesting enough title! I’ll give you a bit more of the clue. She played Belle in the movie Beauty and the Beast. Now to my point.

The quest for the secret to influence and persuasion has an ancient history. However, the overriding ingredient is trust. And you can only influence well and build trust if you truly understand the situation of those you wish to influence. To understand the situation of others you must first stand in their shoes, the first step in my Pathfinder Model of building a compelling argument.

Why do I mention EMMAnating? Because of the MTV Movie and TV Awards of course. The 2017 awards celebrated for the first time a major gender-neutral acting award. This saw Emma Watson win as best actor for her role as Belle in Beauty and the Beast. And what did she have to say at the awards ceremony?

The first acting award in history that doesn’t separate nominees based on their sex says something about how we perceive the human experience.

MTV’s move to create a genderless award for acting will mean something different to everyone. But to me, it indicates that acting is about the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. And that doesn’t need to be separated into two different categories.

Source: Andrews, Travis M. Emma Watson wins first major gender-neutral movie award for Beauty and the Beast. May 2017. www.smh.com.au

There you have it. Great actors excel because they immerse themselves in their role. They stand in the shoes of the character they portray.

All great advisers know you can learn from others. Otherwise why give advice? If you really, really want to be a better adviser, learn from Emma Watson and stand in their shoes.

If you have a question or some observations you would like to make, please drop me a line. Anytime. In fact you can book a 15- minute catch up with me here.