Nir HalevyEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

We are surrounded by hierarchies, but what happens when they fail? In this episode of Stand Up to Stand Out, host Stuart Paap sits down with Nir Halevy, the Jagdeep and Roshni Singh Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. For two decades, Nir has studied the subtle forces that shape how groups operate, how they compete, and how we handle conflict. Drawing from his brand-new book, Level Up, Nir breaks down why hierarchies are not fundamentally broken by nature, but rather, why we’ve just been implementing them all wrong. Whether you're looking to build a stronger team, understand the deep interplay between competition and cooperation, or step up as an impactful leader from any level within an organization, this episode offers the practical, actionable frameworks you need to thrive. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: - The "3 Us" of Broken Hierarchies: How to diagnose systems that have become ultra-competitive, unjust, and unstable. - The CPR Framework: A guide to resetting team dynamics through Common Value, Pluralism, and Relatedness. - Psychological Safety vs. Performance: How to compartmentalize competition so it fuels growth without causing teammates to sabotage one another. - The IDEA Framework for Strategic Thinking: How shifting your mindset between Impact, Dependency, Egocentric, and Altercentric thinking changes how you fit into a team. - The Power of Brokerage & Humor: Practical ways junior team members can create massive value, navigate office politics safely, and build organic coalitions from the bottom up. - Power vs. Status: A breakdown of the organizational matrix and why increasing "status" is often the real cure for a toxic workplace environment. ⏱️ Episode Timestamps: (00:00:00) Nir's background and early lessons Nir shares how early basketball experiences shaped his understanding of social comparison, competition, and fitting into new groups. (00:04:04) Cooperation vs. Competition An exploration of the mixed-motive nature of human interactions and how collaborative team climates foster autonomy and performance. (00:07:29) The CPR framework for hierarchies Nir diagnoses broken hierarchies and introduces the CPR framework—Common value, Pluralism, and Relatedness—to fix them. (00:17:28) The IDEA framework for newcomers Practical advice for joining new organizations, using active listening, and applying the IDEA strategic thinking mindset. (00:24:00) Speaking up and exerting influence How to strategically orchestrate meetings, build coalitions, and use humor to influence others from lower organizational ranks. (00:31:38) The power and status matrix An analysis of how power and status interact, highlighting the toxic nature of high-power, low-status roles. (00:44:12) Adaptability and feedback techniques Methods for encouraging participation, including the nominal group technique and removing rank insignia during team debriefs. (00:48:18) Conflict and the I GUT framework How to navigate conflict constructively using the dual concern model and the I GUT emotional intelligence framework. (00:56:23) The Promotion board game Nir explains his experiential game, Promotion, which teaches players the real-world consequences of different influence strategies. (01:02:24) Timeless principles in a changing world A discussion on how timeless human social dynamics apply to modern challenges like remote work and AI technology. Catch More From Our Guest – Nir Halevy Nir Halevy's New Book: Level Up (Available on Amazon, Walmart, and major booksellers) - https://basic-venture.com/titles/nir-halevy/level-up/9781541705739/ Connect with Nir on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nir-halevy Catch More From Our Host – Stuart Paap ️ Host of Stand Up to Stand Out, a podcast dedicated

Stanford experts answer live questions on leadership, authenticity, and communication. What happens when four top Stanford thinkers take live questions from a room full of leaders? In Part 2 of this special Think Fast, Talk Smart series from the Stanford LEAD Me2We Conference, Matt Abrahams and his panel of expert GSB faculty— Allison Kluger , Naomi Bagdonas , Christian Wheeler , and Nir Halevy —answer questions from a live audience. They cover real-world challenges around leadership, authenticity, psychological safety, and managing your reputation in complex environments. With honest reflections and actionable advice, their answers offer a candid look at what it takes to lead with intention while staying true to yourself. Episode Reference Links: Allison Kluger Book Allison Contributed to: Brand Up Naomi Bagdonas Nir Halevy Christian Wheeler Ep.2 Communicating Our Multiple Selves: How to Effectively Manage Your Reputation Ep.13 Make ’Em Laugh: How to Use Humor as a Secret Weapon in Your Communication Ep.30 Dissolve Disagreements: How Communication Impacts Conflict Ep.18 Managing in the Moment: How to Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable Connect: Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io Think Fast Talk Smart >>><a href="ht

Effective leadership begins with the way you communicate. Leading with impact isn’t about speaking louder—it’s about communicating in ways that resonate with what people already value. In Part 1 of this special two-part series from the Stanford LEAD Me2We Conference, Matt Abrahams brings together four expert GSB faculty— Allison Kluger , Nir Halevy , Christian Wheeler , and Naomi Bagdonas —to explore how to lead and communicate with intention. They share how authenticity builds trust, why discomfort is essential for growth, how to design space for serendipity, and the role AI can play in expanding—not replacing—human potential. From managing reputation to staying present in high-pressure moments, this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart offers insights to help leaders connect more effectively, show up with purpose, and inspire meaningful action. Episode Reference Links: Allison Kluger Book Allison Contributed to: Brand Up Naomi Bagdonas Nir Halevy Christian Wheeler Learn more about the Stanfor

“Communication, conflict, and cooperation are intertwined in a multitude of ways,” says Nir Halevy , associate professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , Halevy sits down with host and lecturer Matt Abrahams, to discuss how we can often solve conflicts and disagreements by employing the correct strategy in our communication. “How you articulate a particular grievance, your choice of words, the nonverbal aspects of your claim, such as the tone of your voice, can definitely influence reactions to your claim,” Halevy says. Connect: Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn , Instagram , YouTube Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn ******** Thank you to our sponsors. These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost. Unleash your Superhuman potential with AI that meets you where you work. Learn more at superhuman.com Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be.