About this episode

Stan Christensen discusses the psychology of negotiation and shares insights on effective strategies for achieving win-win outcomes.

Before teaching negotiation at Stanford, Stan Christensen spent decades advising leaders on high-stakes negotiations around the world. From corporate finance on Wall Street to the consulting arm of the Harvard Negotiation Project, he has worked across more than 75 countries helping leaders navigate complex negotiations where the outcome can shape companies, careers, and international relationships. In this conversation with Derek Andersen, Stan explains why most people misunderstand negotiation. Instead of treating it like a battle where one side wins and the other loses, he argues that the best negotiators focus on preparation, deep listening, and creative problem-solving to build outcomes where both sides leave stronger. Stan shares lessons from venture capital negotiations, startup fundraising, job offer negotiations, and company acquisitions. He explains why founders should never negotiate with only one investor, why controlling the process matters when selling a company, and why the biggest mistake negotiators make is agreeing to deals they should walk away from. The episode goes deeper into leadership, persuasion, and human psychology, exploring why negotiation is…

People in this episode

Host: Derek Andersen

Guest: Stan Christensen

Topics covered

• negotiation
• psychology
• leadership
• persuasion
• relationships
• business strategy

Sponsors

Delve

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Stanford, Harvard Negotiation Project, YouTube

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