The Psychology of Command...

Have you ever said something important

only to have it completely ignored? It's

frustrating. You know you're right, but

no one's listening. The problem isn't

what you said. The problem is a missing

signal called conviction. Real

conviction happens even tone. It's a

psychological signal that tells the

brain, "This person is not guessing.

They know." Today, we're breaking down

three levels of absolute conviction.

From a gladiator who knows himself to

the quiet confidence of a drug lord to

the morals of a marine colonel who might

actually have it wrong. So, let's look

at these examples and learn how you can

command every room. You will remove your

helmet and tell me your name.

Level one is identity conviction. This

is the foundation. If you don't believe

you deserve to be in the room, no one

else will either. Look at this moment

from Gladiator. Maximus is a slave. He

has zero power. Earlier in the film, the

emperor orders Maximus killed and then

he was reported dead. So when Maximus

removes his helmet, he expects that he

will be executed. But watch what happens

when he turns around.

My name is Maximus Desimus Meridius.

Loyal servant to the true emperor Marcus

Aurelius,

father to a murdered son, husband to a

murdered wife,

and I will have my vengeance

in this life or the next.

Notice the pacing. Nervous speakers rush

because they feel like they're stealing

the audience's time. They want to get

the words out before they are

interrupted. Maximus takes his time.

Maximus won't be interrupted or

undermined here because his words have

weight. Wait, he gives them with his

calm, deliberate delivery. The takeaway

here is this. When you speak, anchor

yourself in the facts of your life that

cannot be moved. If you treat your

identity as a fact, the audience will as

well. The combination of this speech and

his recent victory in the arena, rally

the crowd to support him.

[panting]

The emperor wants to kill him right then

and there, but he can't defy the newly

won over crowd and has no choice but to

let him live to fight another day.

Winning over the crowd is great, but

you're more likely to find yourself in a

small group or in one-on-one

negotiation. It's here where body

language, demeanor, and intent take you

to the next level.

You're dealing with me now, not him.

Level two is quiet conviction, and this

is where most people get it wrong. You

can be loud, which can be threatening,

draw a lot of attention. But in this

scene from Breaking Bad, Walter proves

that being calm and measured is a far

more effective demeanor. Being loud can

be effective, like we'll see in our next

example, but it takes a lot of effort.

The person with the most sustainable

conviction is the one who uses the least

amount of energy. Look at the physical

difference here. Declan is surrounded by

armed guards. He has the power, yet he's

fidgeting. He looks around. He's

reactive. Walter, though, he's a statue.

He doesn't blink. He doesn't raise his

voice. In fact, he lowers it. This is

the mechanic of quiet conviction. Walder

doesn't try to sell himself. He sells

the value of working with him. He does

this through the whole scene, setting up

a partnership deal.

Why cut us in?

Mike is retiring from our crew. So, his

share of the partnership is available if

you can handle his end.

This leads to the crescendo of this

moment and the special sauce that's

needed to secure any high-v value sale.

He wraps up the whole thing with

conviction. Not his, but theirs. Now

say my name,

Eisenberg.

This is the ultimate conviction. When

you believe in yourself so strongly, you

don't even need to say it. You make them

say it for you.

You're goddamn right.

Now, even though we're talking about a

massive drug empire here, this isn't

even the most dangerous form of

conviction. For that, we need to go to

military court.

You want answers? I think I'm entitled.

You want answers.

I want the truth. You can't handle the

truth.

The most dangerous conviction is moral

conviction. This is when you believe you

are so right that the other person is

actually stupid for disagreeing with

you. In A Fe Good Men, Colonel Jessup is

technically the villain. He's providing

testimony for a crime his subordinates

are accused of committing. And spoilers,

he's the one who's actually responsible.

But watch his body language and pay

attention to his cadence.

Son, we live in a world that has walls,

and those walls have to be guarded by

men with guns. Who's going to do it?

You, you, Lieutenant Weinberg,

I have a greater responsibility than you

can possibly fathom.

Conviction evaporates the moment you use

words like maybe, sort of, or I feel

like. These are all conviction killers.

Jessup speaks in absolutes because in

his own mind, he's the hero of his own

story. But here's the problem and the

most important lesson of this video.

Colonel Jessup had total conviction, but

he was wrong. He ends up in handcuffs

because his conviction blinded him to

his own corruption. Did you order the

code red? I did the job.

Did you order the code red?

You're goddamn right I did.

True conviction isn't just a magic trick

to win arguments. It's a responsibility.

It's not enough to sound like you're

right. You actually have to put the work

in. Each man represents the conviction

of either themselves, their work, or

their purpose. So, if you can find a

passion for one of these, you will gain

positional authority, and with that,

conviction will follow. But conviction

never comes without action