The First Negotiation Is With Yourself | Dr. Bruno Verdini

What if every negotiation begins long before we sit down at the table?

In this conversation, Dr. Laila Marouf is joined by Dr. Bruno Verdini (Executive Director of the MIT-Harvard Mexico Negotiation Program, Visiting Professor at the Asia School of Business, and Senior Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) to explore negotiation not as manipulation, nor as a simple “win-win,” but as a practice of authenticity, trust, and shared prosperity.

Together, they unpack why the very first negotiation is with ourselves, about what we consider success and who we have responsibility for. Drawing on his mixed heritage and decades of work with senior decision-makers and C-suite executives in more than 80 countries, Dr. Bruno reflects on moving from a scarcity mindset to a prosperity mindset, why our differences can be a source of richness rather than separation, and how education, from the Latin educo, is about drawing from within.

They also explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we prepare for difficult conversations, why trust is the opposite of control, and why no one can know the outcome of a true negotiation before engaging with it. As Dr. Bruno puts it: “To negotiate, it’s the art and science of figuring out what you stand for.”

Knowledge Mindfulness Porch is a space for thoughtful conversation hosted by Dr. Laila Marouf, exploring how Knowing (New Learning), Being (New Leadership), and Doing (New Living) unfold as interconnected, living practices in times of unconventional change and polycrisis. 

Join us on the Porch. Connect: knowledgemindfulness.com

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