As a retired FBI agent and former Chief of the Crisis Negotiation, Gary Noesner is a deep expert of Negotiation in extreme situations: situations of life and death. Drawing from his book “Stalling for Time”, Noesner discusses the evolution of hostage negotiation from simple bargaining to empathy-driven crisis intervention. He highlights the importance of emotional self-control, active listening, and strategic communication. Many stories from his 30 years of practice, illustrate his insights. Noesner also reflects on his global efforts to advance negotiation training and shares leadership lessons centered on patience, empathy, and empowering others. Negotiation skills from a master practitioner.

Show notes:

• Gary Noesner - Personal website
• Book “Stalling for Time“, by Gary Noesner
• Book “You are not listening” by Kate Murphy
• Book “Influence, the psychology of persuasion” by Robert Cialdini
• Book “The seven habits of highly effective people” by Stephen Covey

sylvainnewton.com/podcast

As a former McKinsey senior partner in charge of the Strategy practice and as Professor at HEC in Paris, Olivier is Sibony is both an Academic and practitioner of Strategy and Decision making. In his book “Noise”, co-authored with the Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman, Olivier explains how "noise", random variability in human judgment, causes significant decision-making errors alongside bias. He explores noise types, its organizational impact, and reduction strategies. Our conversation also examines AI's limitations in eliminating noise, the importance of human accountability, and leadership qualities needed in an increasingly automated world.

Show notes:

• Olivier Sibony – Personal website
• Book „Noise“, by Daniel Kahneman, Oliver Sibony and Cass Sunstein
• Book “Thinking, Fast and Slow“ by Daniel Kahneman
• Book “Leadership Intelligence” by Caroline Webb
• Book “Faut-il encore decider?” by Oliver Sibony and Eric Hazan

sylvainnewton.com/podcast

Paul Saunders is a global leadership expert and adjunct professor at INSEAD. We discuss how cultural diversity in teams can drive high performance when managed deliberately through inclusion. Paul distinguishes between organizational culture (a stable "house") and climate (adjustable "rooms" shaped by leaders), emphasizing that leaders influence 60-80% of team climate, which directly impacts performance. The conversation also covers innovation, virtual team dynamics, and the importance of building trust and community.

Show notes:

• Paul Saunders LinkedIn profile
• Paul Saunders Insead Faculty profile
• Book “The Happiness Advantage” by Shawn Achor
• Book “Design Love In” by Marcus Buckingham
• The Nancy Adler curve about effectiveness in multicultural teams
• Team questionnaire “View”
• Innovation questionnaire “SOQ”

sylvainnewton.com/podcast