In this episode of The Evolving Leader, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Sara Deschamps are in conversation with former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss. During his 24 years in the FBI Chris changed the game in negotiation from one of stoicism to one of tactical empathy, persuading kidnappers, terrorists, and bank robbers to see things his way, saving countless lives in the process. Chris has translated his high-profile experience and synergy of collaboration and empathy into his negotiation consultancy The Black Swan Group, where he and his team of expert hostage negotiators apply negotiation skills in business contexts to help their clients make better deals, develop new relationships, and uncover valuable pieces of information the other side is hiding.

Chris is a household name on the Masterclass platform where he’s garnered a following for his accessible courses that teach everyone how to better communicate using behavioural science and human nature. He is also a successful author - his book Never Split the Difference explores how everything is a negotiation, and how anyone can use FBI negotiation tactics to solve problems, get what they want and resolve conflicts in all aspects of their life.

Referenced during this episode:
The Edge negotiation newsletter: https://www.blackswanltd.com/the-edge
The Black Swan Group: Blackswanltd.com

Other reading from Jean Gomes and Scott Allender:
Leading In A Non-Linear World (J Gomes, 2023)
The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence (S Allender, 2023)

Social:
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YouTube @evolvingleader

The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

Deploying Tactical Empathy with Chris Voss

The Evolving Leader