The Six Levels of Persuasion and When to Use Each One

Influencing people is part of every leader’s job, whether you are guiding a project, making decisions under pressure, or helping your team grow. Yet many managers fall into the trap of relying on one style of communication, often swinging between being overly direct or frustratingly vague. Neither works particularly well.

A useful way to navigate this is a framework developed by Ute Fischer and Judith Orasanu. Their research explored how people persuade others, particularly in high stakes environments, and identified six distinct ways we try to move someone towards action. Although the original work was rooted in aviation, the model translates beautifully into everyday business. It gives leaders a practical guide to choosing the right level of clarity, authority, or collaboration for any situation.

This article explores each of the six levels in depth and shows how to apply them in a typical workplace. Used well, they help leaders communicate with confidence, build trust, and promote a values led culture.

Why Leaders Need More Than One Style of Request

Most organisations rely on collaboration, autonomy, and clear communication to function. A single style of request rarely suits every situation. If leaders default to directing people, the team will wait to be told what to do. If leaders always soften their language, clarity disappears.

Flexibility is the goal. When leaders understand these six levels, they become more intentional about how they speak, when to take charge, when to coach, and when to invite input. This strengthens psychological safety, fosters problem solving, and aligns well with the type of mission driven leadership that modern businesses value.

The Six Levels of Persuasion

Although they range from strong to soft wording, none of the levels is inherently right or wrong. They simply serve different purposes.

• Command
• Obligation statement
• Suggestion
• Query
• Preference
• Hint

Below, we explore each one in detail and show how it fits into everyday leadership.

Command

A command is the clearest and most direct form of influence. It tells someone exactly what to do without ambiguity.

In the workplace, commands are essential when timing, safety, or compliance is at stake. For example, during an incident that affects customers, the leader may need to say, “Pause all new deployments until we confirm the root cause.” There is no room for interpretation.

Used sparingly, commands provide clarity and decisiveness. Used constantly, they undermine autonomy and make people feel managed rather than led.

The most effective leaders deliver commands respectfully. They explain the reason, keep the tone calm, and avoid slipping into authority for its own sake.

Obligation Statement

Obligation statements draw on shared responsibility rather than hierarchy. They still signal a required action, but they frame it as something the team needs to do together. For example: “We need to have the client proposal finalised today so we can send it before close of business.”

This level works well in collaborative environments, project teams, or moments where accountability is mutual. It helps leaders maintain momentum without sounding authoritarian and encourages the team to feel part of a collective effort.

Because obligation statements focus on shared duty, they often feel more motivating than outright instructions.

Suggestion

Suggestions are useful when you want to guide without dictating. They express a leader’s perspective, but keep space for discussion or alternative ideas. For example: “It might be helpful to run a short review before we hand this over.”

This level suits brainstorming sessions, process improvements, early planning, and moments where the leader wants to steer the group without shutting down creativity.

Suggestions build ownership. When employees feel that they contributed to the final decision, they are more committed to the outcome.

Query

A query is a question designed to move someone towards an idea or action. For example: “How would you like to handle this handover to ensure the client feels supported?”

Queries are powerful coaching tools. They help people reflect, analyse, and take responsibility for their choices. They work well in performance conversations, mentoring discussions, and situations where the leader wants the team member to grow in confidence.

The challenge with queries is that they can be misunderstood if the other person does not realise action is needed. They work best when the stakes are low or when the person has experience and clarity.

Preference

A preference expresses your view while showing you are open to other options. For example: “I’d prefer that we share the update today, but I’m open to delaying it if there’s a good reason.”

This level is ideal when you have a personal leaning but want to respect someone else’s judgement or creativity. It is useful in design discussions, strategy debates, or cross team work where multiple approaches could succeed.

Preferences build trust. They show the leader has a view without insisting on it.

Hint

Hints are the softest level. They rely on the other person picking up on what you mean without you stating it directly. For example: “It feels like this task might slip if we’re not careful.”

Hints can be helpful when giving early feedback or prompting someone to notice an issue themselves. They work well informally, especially when the person is experienced and has a good sense of context.

The risk is obvious. Hints can be missed, misunderstood, or interpreted differently. For new employees, time sensitive work, or any situation where clarity matters, hints are almost always the wrong choice.

Choosing the Right Level for the Situation

Good leaders shift between levels deliberately rather than instinctively. A simple way to choose the right level is to consider:

• The urgency of the situation
• The level of risk
• The other person’s confidence and experience
• The importance of shared ownership
• How clarity aligns with your culture and values

If the stakes are high and time is short, move towards the more direct end of the scale. If you want to develop people or encourage autonomy, move towards the softer end. The skill lies in reading the moment and adjusting accordingly.

How These Six Levels Strengthen Company Culture

Every organisation has unwritten communication habits. If those habits lean too heavily towards commands, the culture becomes dependent and cautious. If they lean too heavily towards hints, clarity vanishes and frustration grows.

The six level framework offers a balanced alternative. Leaders who use it consciously create a workplace where communication is clear, fair, and aligned to the company mission and values. This is especially important for businesses that want their purpose to be more than a slogan. Consistent communication shapes behaviour, expectations, and how people feel at work.

This connection between communication and culture sits at the heart of what we champion at SkyHR. When leaders speak in ways that build trust and clarity, the entire employee experience improves.

Practical Examples from Everyday Leadership

Here are a few illustrations of how the levels play out in real scenarios.

Project delays
A command might be necessary if a delay affects a critical client deadline. A suggestion or query works better if the goal is to uncover bottlenecks and prevent future issues.

Performance conversations
Hints often fall flat when someone needs support or direction. Queries help people reflect, while obligation statements avoid ambiguity.

Cross team collaboration
Preferences and suggestions work well when you need buy in from several teams. They keep the conversation open without losing direction.

Remote or hybrid work
Clarity matters more when communication is digital. Leaders may need to rely less on hints and more on direct levels to avoid confusion.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

There are a few pitfalls that often arise when leaders try to improve communication.

• Using hints when a clear action is needed
• Defaulting to commands when the situation is not urgent
• Confusing politeness with vagueness
• Giving a query when you actually want someone to do something specific
• Forgetting to match tone to the stakes and the individual’s experience

Awareness of these traps helps leaders stay intentional rather than reactive.

How to Develop Range as a Leader

Range comes from practice. Leaders can develop it by:

• Noticing which level they default to under pressure
• Experimenting with softer or stronger levels depending on the moment
• Asking peers for feedback on clarity and tone
• Reflecting on whether communication supports or undermines the company’s values
• Practising coaching conversations to strengthen the use of queries and preferences

Over time, shifting between levels becomes natural. The aim is not perfection, but greater choice and intention.

Conclusion

Great leadership is not about being forceful or being soft. It is about choosing the right approach for the moment. When leaders understand the six levels of persuasion and use them well, teams feel clearer, more confident, and more engaged. Decisions become smoother. Accountability grows. Culture strengthens.

Mastering these levels helps leaders communicate in a way that builds trust, supports growth, and reinforces the mission and values their organisation stands for. It is a simple framework, but one with remarkable power when applied with care.