Of course, at times you and your organization would be better served by keeping your cards close to your chest. In our negotiation classes, we teach strategies for handling hard questions without lying. Dodging, or answering a question you wish you had been asked, can be effective not only in helping you protect information you’d […]

There is no rule of thumb for how much—or what type—of information you should disclose. Indeed, transparency is such a powerful bonding agent that sometimes it doesn’t matter what is revealed—even information that reflects poorly on us can draw our conversational partners closer. In research Leslie conducted with HBS collaborators Kate Barasz and Michael Norton, […]

A conversation is a dance that requires partners to be in sync—it’s a mutual push-and-pull that unfolds over time. Just as the way we ask questions can facilitate trust and the sharing of information—so, too, can the way we answer them.  Answering questions requires making a choice about where to fall on a continuum between privacy […]

They do not typically engage in prolonged abstract thinking, and seldom consider philosophical issues, such as the meaning of belief systems and ideologies. They do not find it necessary to attend cultural events such as movies, concerts, dance recitals, plays, poetry readings, gallery openings and art shows, although they may do such things on occasion. […]

They tend to have higher than average levels of self-esteem, particularly when they are also average or above average in extraversion. They are at relatively low risk for developing anxiety disorders and depression (again, particularly if average or above in extraversion). When good things happen to them, people with moderately low levels of neuroticism can […]

People who are moderately extraverted don’t often keep things to themselves, tending instead to share what they are thinking with everyone. They are self-disclosing (particularly if also high in neuroticism) and they warm fairly rapidly to other people. They are among the first to speak in meetings. They can be captivating and convincing. They are […]

Typically conscientious people tend to obtain more moderate grades in academic settings (unless they are also highly intelligent). They make reasonably competent administrators and managers. Their performance in such situations would be improved by more diligence and focus, and through the use of careful scheduling. They mildly prefer to have everything in its proper place, […]

People with low levels of agreeableness are seen by others as competitive, colder, tougher and less empathic. They are less likely to look for the best in others, and are not particularly tolerant (an attitude that is much valued by agreeable people). They are less concerned about the emotional state of others, are willing to […]

My interest is in organizations and collaboration, not medicine or astronomy. But the conceptual question is the same: could it be that our current worldview limits the way we think about organizations? Could we invent a more powerful, more soulful, more meaningful way to work together, if only we change our belief system? In many […]

Truth will not come in the guise of opinions shared by others, as the truth is neither a collection of slogans nor an ideology. It will instead be personal. Your truth is something only you can tell, based as it is on the unique circumstances of your life. Apprehend your personal truth. Communicate it carefully, […]