Photo by Joshua Earle via Unsplash When I was a young leader, one of my biggest growth areas was apologizing. For ambitious entrepreneurs, saying you’re sorry can be a difficult thing to master. I get it. Young entrepreneurs want to move fast. Taking the time to stop, apologize, and remedy a situation can feel like an unnecessary waste of time. But I’ve found that the ability to apologize immediately, and with sincerity, is essential for being a great leader.

Welcome to “Negotiate This,” where we’re telling true stories of how collaborative negotiation can expand what is possible. We ask women entrepreneurs and leaders to share their stories of how creativity and collaboration led to successful deals. In these true stories, names have been changed so that stories can be openly shared that include important and practical details of the negotiations.

Shutterstock Think about a novel or movie that you found engaging. Why was it so? Conflict. Conflict makes a story interesting, it moves the story forward, engages the reader/viewer, causes the protagonist to stretch, grow, task risks. Adversity is good – as long as you move through it to the other side. There are many types of adversity. Which ones are you dealing with right now? • Human vs. Human • Human vs. Society • Human vs. Self •Human vs.

From the deficit to education to immigration, countless issues polarize America’s two major political parties. But Democrat and Republican voters do agree on the importance of a handful of issues, and employment and jobs is a big one. According to the Gallup’s Election Benchmark Survey, 88% of Democrat-leaning voters and 80% of Republican-leaning voters call the issue of above average importance.

Shutterstock Burnout is a topic that comes up often in my line of work. So many clients come to me desperate to escape jobs that have gradually consumed their entire lives. It’s not a pretty sight, and it’s a no-win situation for all parties— the cost of burnout is steep for employees and employers both. So I was fascinated when Amazon recently announced their new 30-hour workweek initiative.

Shutterstock Why is it so hard for leaders to talk about the culture and energy in their workplaces? If they were as focused on making money as they claim to be, they would talk about culture all the time. They would want to know how the team is feeling, not just once a year in a check-the-box way but all the time, in the moment and on the ground.

Shutterstock I have a friend who’s terrific at being his own public relations agent. Whether he’s celebrating his latest promotion or cooking dinner for friends, he’s got a knack for showcasing what he’s good at without sounding self-centered. What’s his secret? Shameless self-promotion is about knowing what you want and then being your own best advocate. For many people, self-promotion falls outside their comfort zone.

Shutterstock Bad bosses come in an almost endless array of flavors. Some are blatantly unethical, abusive, or bigoted, but many more are just flawed in an entirely human way that makes them frustrating to work for, even if it doesn’t brand them as terrible people in general. Often, your only opportunity to identify a bad boss in advance is during a job interview.

Shutterstock When is the best time to ask what the job pays? If a recruiter calls you on the phone, you can ask them what the job pays in your first phone call. There’s no reason to waste your time or theirs if your salary target and the employer’s hiring pay range are not well-matched. If you’re dealing with the employer directly and your first interview is an interview with an HR person, there’s not much point in asking what the job pays.

(Photo courtesy of Pexels.) Picture this: You’re in an important meeting with senior leadership. The CEO is sharing the firm’s strategic plan, including how the company will “leverage big data to gain visibility into market opportunities producing measurable ROI”. Um…what? You do a quick scan around the conference room. Heads nod in agreement as the CEO concludes. Self-doubt kicks in.