The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership | Critical Thinking | Problem-Solving 651: Ford School of Public Policy Adjunct Attia Qureshi on the Hidden Psychology Behind Effective Negotiation
May 11, 2026
Attia Qureshi, adjunct and negotiation consultant and author of Never Settle, reframes negotiation as a core leadership skill. She explores why smart professionals stumble, the role of fear and preparation, using reciprocity to build trust, and practicing emotional resilience. Short, tactical ideas on prep sheets, low-stakes practice, and principled negotiation are highlighted.
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Most Decisions Are Emotionally Driven
- Emotions drive most decisions: 90–95% of decision-making is non-conscious emotional processing.
- Attia cites Stanford research to show negotiation must account for internal emotional states on both sides.
How Lemonade And Cherries Won A Neighbor Over
- Attia recounts a hostile neighbor who complained about easements after she moved into her dream house.
- She brought lemonade, cherries and apples over months, rebuilt trust, then successfully asked for a gas easement later.
Standing Up To A Cartel Disruption In Colombia
- In Colombia Attia faced a cartel-affiliated man who flew a drone to disrupt a farmers' meeting about moving off coca.
- She managed fear, enforced meeting norms, the man left, and farmers agreed a plan to pivot to oranges.
