The pitfalls of email negotiation are well documented, but research suggests tackling these problems head-on can improve results. … Read More

In May 2025, the Program on Negotiation (PON) and the Belfer Center at the Harvard Kennedy School welcomed the 70th Secretary of State and Harvard Law School Alum, Michael R. Pompeo to sit down for a series of interviews which included a public session attended by students, faculty, and guests at Harvard Law School, as … Read More

Are great leaders born or made? The question has fascinated scholars for nearly two centuries and spawned many theories.

The trait theory of leadership, which dates to the mid-1800s, originally proposed that only certain people possessed the personality traits required of effective leaders. Although that view has been widely rebutted, management scholars have continued to try … Read The Trait Theory of Leadership

We tend to forget—at our peril—that not everyone at the bargaining table wants to close a deal and may be bargaining in bad faith. … Read More

Imagine yourself in a dilemma that only a privileged few experience: You’ve fallen in love with a dazzling, one-of-a-kind home that’s on the market without a list price. Instead, the seller’s broker encourages you to name your price. You’re unsure how much to offer—yet desperate to win the prize. … Read More

Our assumptions about gender and negotiation are often based on outmoded, inaccurate stereotypes. Recent research reveals how our thinking fails us—and how we might do better. … Read Gender and Negotiation: New Research Findings

There are many types of conflict in negotiation, from the constructive to the destructive. We consider four types of conflict in negotiation that you can learn to prepare for and address. … Read Types of Conflict in Negotiation

Negotiators often struggle with the task of bargaining with those who behave rashly, reason poorly, and act in ways that contradict their own self-interest. But as it turns out, behavior that negotiators often view as evidence of irrationality may in fact indicate something entirely different. … Read More

In the workplace, it sometimes seems as if conflict is always with us. Miss a deadline, and you are likely to face conflict with your boss. Lash out at a colleague who you feel continually undermines you, and you’ll end up in conflict. And if you disagree with a fellow manager about whether to represent … Read 3 Types of Conflict and How to Address Them

Those who favor an authoritarian leadership style, also known as an autocratic leadership style, tend to believe their approach to management is more efficient and decisive than a more collaborative leadership style. But because a top-down approach can heighten the power differential between leaders and those who report to them, it often backfires, generating resentment … Read More

Have you ever found yourself negotiating with difficult personalities, or negotiating with someone who seemed entirely ruthless and lacking in empathy? From time to time, we may end up in the deeply unsettling position of negotiating with someone who appears to have no concern for us or our outcomes. … Read More