Hostage at the Table

Senior leaders rarely get their most important work done by issuing orders. A CTO cannot compel a partner firm, a dean cannot order a faculty to embrace a curriculum, a ministry cannot be forced to share data. On the questions that matter, outcome...

The case chronicles the acute leadership crisis that erupted during the final minutes of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final match. It presents a real-world dilemma in which formal authority clashes with informal influence, and deeply held values...

Anna Cajot draws on the experience of former FBI agent Joe Navarro to overcome an impasse when you’re locked in critical talks.

An executive coaching story showing how reframing conflict as a cycle of renewal helps a senior manager move from avoidance to repair, trust, and growth.

Empathetic assertiveness, key in crisis negotiations, blends courage and emotional intelligence - offering powerful lessons for effective leadership in business.

Raiffeisen Bank International's Sabine Abfalter explores how finance leaders can drive banking digital transformation with bold vision as architects of change.

This technical note introduces the Negotiation Staircase Framework, a comprehensive approach to understanding and managing complex negotiations. The framework presents six distinct levels of negotiation: Set-up, Process Definition, Guiding Princip...

This note, designed for use in sessions and programs on negotiation, explores five distinct negotiator types: competitor, collaborator, strategist, innovator and problem solver. Each type has unique characteristics, strengths and weaknesses that c...

The note aims to equip leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to negotiate alliances across and among organizations and institutions from differing sectors: business, government, non-profit, international and academic. It emphasizes the im...

Already certain American trading partners have received tariff threats to their exports, prompting questions as to how best to respond. Drawing on the lessons from the first Trump Administration, statements made by the President-elect and his circ...