Rhetorical Appeals
Ethos: Appropriate Humility
Build trust by acknowledging limitations and showing willingness to learn.
What it is
Before & after
“False confidence: "I'm certain this will work perfectly" (overconfident) or "I don't know anything" (undermining)”
“Appropriate humility: "Based on my experience, this approach typically succeeds, though we should monitor these specific risk factors"”
When you’ll use it
Expert presentations: Acknowledging areas of uncertainty or evolving knowledge while maintaining authority in core expertise
Leadership communication: Admitting when decisions didn't work as expected and sharing lessons learned from failures
Consulting engagements: Clearly defining scope of expertise and recommending specialists for areas outside competency
Team leadership: Recognizing team contributions and sharing credit for successes while taking responsibility for failures
Pro tip
Balance confidence with openness to other perspectives.
Questions & answers
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