Why You Fight Against Your Own Interests: Lessons from a Peace Negotiator

Guest: Lord John Alderdice, House of Lords & Peace Negotiator

What if conflict isn’t driven by rational self-interest, but by something far more human?

In this episode, Lord John Alderdice—psychiatrist, political leader, and key architect of the Good Friday Agreement which brought peace to Northern Ireland—shares a radically different lens on conflict. Drawing from decades of peace negotiations, he explains why people and nations often act against their own interests, and what leaders must understand to move from division to resolution.

You’ll learn why listening is more powerful than persuasion, why the real issue is often the relationship (not the opposing sides), and how identity, history, and fear shape decisions in ways logic cannot. Alderdice also explores how these lessons apply to today’s global polarization, from geopolitics to corporations.

This conversation offers a profound reframe for leaders navigating complexity, conflict, and change in an increasingly uncertain world.

Produced in partnership with the International Leadership Association: https://ilaglobalnetwork.org/

 

Other episodes you’ll enjoy:

- The Accidental Peacemaker: How a Philanthropist Pursues Peace in a Complex World with Mike Hardy & Steve Killelea

- 11 Steps to Help You Heal Divides with Mike Hardy

- Peace through Better Leaders with Mike Hardy

- A Genocide Survivor’s Path To Leadership: Turning Trauma into Peace with Hyppolite Ntigurirwa & Mike Hardy

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RESOURCES:  

Lord Alderdice’s website has a wealth of information on his work: https://lordalderdice.com/.

 

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 

 

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

 

Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 

 

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OUR PODCAST TEAM:  

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Sponsorship Sales Manager: Kristine Gross (Kgross@innovativeleadership.com)

Booking Producer: Jenna Reik (Jreik@innovativeleadership.com)

Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.

 

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About Our Guest:  

Lord John Alderdice is a psychiatrist, political leader, and internationally recognized peace negotiator who played a key role in the Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement. A former leader of the Alliance Party and Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, he has spent decades applying psychological insight to resolving complex political conflicts. His work now spans global peacebuilding, advising on issues of polarization, extremism, and leadership in deeply divided societies.

“If you come into a conflict and take a side, you are no longer part of the solution—you are part of the conflict.”
 — Lord John Alderdice