HBR IdeaCast Assuming the Best About Others is Hard—But Necessary
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Feb 24, 2026 
Amr Kaissi, leadership professor and author of The Positive Intent Mindset, explains why assuming positive intent matters at work. He discusses how negativity harms trust and well being. He outlines five skills to build trust while keeping accountability. He shows practical moves like asking “what” questions, reality testing, and using forgiveness to reduce reactivity.
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Start With Positive Intent Then Verify It
- Start provisionally by assuming positive intent, then check with the person to verify motives.
- Ask questions like "what if they're trying their best?" and then go and see if that is actually true.
Why We Default To Negative Intent
- Our brains default to negative intent for evolutionary and cognitive reasons, like the fundamental attribution error.
- We judge others by actions but ourselves by intentions, e.g., cutting someone off seems malicious until we imagine our own reasons.
Use What Questions To Avoid Defensive Conversations
- Pause, replace judgment with curiosity, and ask neutral what-questions of the person involved.
- Check with others present to verify your perception before concluding someone had bad intent.
