Tag: Business Coaching

Boardroom Safari: Are You the Lion, the Porcupine, or the Chameleon?

Negotiation isn’t just about the numbers; it’s about the nervous systems in the room.

When a conflict arises or a price point is challenged, your “Technical Brain” wants to talk logic. But your “Survival Brain” usually picks an animal.

In our SSBL (Situation & Scenario Based Learning) sessions, we see leaders sabotage high-stakes deals every day because they lack awareness of their default stress response. We call this the Identity Gap—the space where your technical authority vanishes and an “animal archetype” takes over.

Which one did you “bring to the table” this morning?

1. The Defensive Porcupine (The “Contract Clinger”)

The Conflict: The client asks for a 15% discount because their internal budget was slashed.

The Reaction: You immediately point to Clause 4.2 of the signed agreement. You get defensive, your tone sharpens, and you spend 20 minutes explaining why they are “wrong” to ask.

The EQ Fail: You’ve traded “Influence” for “Accuracy.” You might win the argument, but the relationship is poisoned.

The Pivot: Instead of quills, use a Framing Anchor: “I understand the budget pressure. Let’s look at the project scope—which outcomes are your absolute priority to preserve?”

2. The Invisible Chameleon (The “Peace-at-any-Price”)

The Conflict: The other party is aggressive, pushing boundaries on the agreed-upon scope of work.

The Reaction: You nod, take notes, and say, “We’ll see what we can do.” You blend into the background to avoid the tension, hoping the conflict will resolve itself if you stay quiet.

The EQ Fail: You end up with a signed deal that is unprofitable and impossible to deliver. You’ve sacrificed your leverage for the price of temporary comfort.

The Pivot: Use Strategic Silence. After they make a demand, count to five. Force them to justify the request rather than disappearing into the background.

3. The Helpful Golden Retriever (The “Over-Explainer”)

The Conflict: There is a misunderstanding regarding a missed technical milestone.

The Reaction: You start apologizing. Then you explain why it happened (the server, the holiday, the flu). Then you apologize again. You offer extra free services before they even ask for compensation.

The EQ Fail: You’ve shifted from “Strategic Partner” to “Service Provider.” By over-explaining, you’ve signaled that you lack authority, giving the other side all the power.

The Pivot: Simplify to Amplify. State the facts once, then stop. “The milestone was missed due to a server migration. We are back on track for Tuesday. How would you like to handle the stakeholder update?”

4. The Strategic Lion (The “Architect of Calm”)

The Reaction: You remain calm. You don’t react; you respond. You let the tension sit in the room without rushing to fill it. You ask a high-level EQ question: “It seems like you’re concerned about the risk distribution. What would an ideal safety net look like for you?”

The Result: You close the Identity Gap by remaining the authority figure while making the other party feel heard. This is how win-win outcomes actually happen.

The Cost of the Safari

In negotiation, “English” is just the vehicle. Your EQ is the driver. If you are a Porcupine in a Lion’s suit, the other side will smell it immediately. Technical expertise gets you the meeting, but your ability to manage your “animal response” determines if you lead the partnership.

How do you react under fire?

Do you stay the Lion, or do you start growing quills?

Our 50-point Leadership EQ Audit is designed to stress-test your negotiation persona. It identifies your default animal archetype and gives you the specific “Pivots” needed to maintain your Strategic Edge when the conflict gets loud.

Stop guessing your impact. Get the data.

Take the EQ Audit & Find Your Archetype

EBC | Strategies for Global Leaders

16 February 2026 • 4 min read
The Best Christmas Gift? A book on Hostage Negotiation
I have just finished reading a gift I was given for Christmas: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss.

Voss was the lead international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI. You might wonder what a hostage negotiator has to teach a CEO or a Business Director.

The answer is: Everything.

In business, we are taught to be “Rational.” We use logic, spreadsheets, and “win-win” frameworks. But Voss’s core thesis is that humans are fundamentally irrational, driven by fear, and governed by emotion.

If you try to negotiate with “Logic” against an “Emotion”, you will lose every time.

Here are the three “Non-Rational” tactics I recommend every leader masters in 2026:
- The “Accusation Audit”: List every terrible thing the other side could say about you before they have the chance to say it. It “disarms” the tension immediately.
- Tactical Labelling: Instead of asking “Why are you angry?”, you say: “It seems like you feel this proposal is unfair.” It forces the other person to reflect rather than react.
- The Power of “No”: We are trained to chase a “Yes”. But “Yes” is often a trap or a politeness. Voss argues that “No” is where the negotiation actually starts. It makes the other person feel safe and in control.
As an Executive Coach, I see these tactics work where “Traditional Sales” fails.

When my clients are negotiating in their second language, they often get stuck on the “Maths” of the deal.

They forget that the person across the table is looking for Safety and Understanding, not just a 10% discount.

Negotiation isn’t a battle of wits; it’s an exercise in Tactical Empathy.

The Lesson:
Don’t “Split the Difference”. Splitting the difference is just a way for two people to walk away unhappy.

Learn to navigate the emotional undercurrents of the room, and you’ll find that the “Logic” of the deal takes care of itself.
27 January 2026 • 2 min read
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗷𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 “𝗛𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴”.

I learnt my most valuable negotiation framework in the mountain village of Toujane, Tunisia, for the price of a handmade rug.

This photo was taken quite a few years ago in the Berber heartland—far from the coastal resorts, where trade is still done with a handshake and a lot of patience.

I found the rug you see behind me—heavy, geometric patterns, coloured with natural deep blue.

I thought I was prepared. I had been told the “rule” of the market:

“Always counter-offer at 25% of the initial price.”

The old man gave his number. I hit him with my 25% calculation.

We did the “dance” for twenty minutes.
I was focused on the maths.
I was focused on “winning”.

I had my exit strategy ready. I reached for my car keys, prepared to walk back to the dusty mountain road to prove I was the one in control.

But right as I turned to leave, the vendor stopped talking about the rug entirely.

He pulled out the silver teapot you see here on the table.

He poured the tea from a height—a long, steady stream. He handed me a glass, looked me in the eye, and asked:

“𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 ‘𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦’, 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦?”

The question stripped away my logic.

He realised I wasn’t buying wool and dye.

I was buying a “creative anchor” for my home and a connection to these mountains.

The moment he shifted the negotiation from Transactional (my 25% rule) to Human (the value of the work), my “firm limit” evaporated.

I ended up paying significantly more than my “rule” allowed—and that rug still sits in my home today.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻:
If you’re arguing over a “fixed percentage”, you’re fighting for the wrong thing.

The master negotiator doesn’t win by lowering the price.
They win by shifting the focus from the cost of the product to the value of the transformation.

Stop defending your invoice. Start articulating the story.

12 December 2025 • 2 min read