Why Not Swing Big: Unlocking Your Undeniable Potential with Kwame Christian
7/16/202650 min
Because the best things in life are on the other side of difficult conversations.
Mick Hunt welcomes Kwame Christian, CEO of the American Negotiation Institute, who reveals how to approach difficult conversations to change your business and life. This episode will equip you with a new negotiation framework.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
- The 3 Core Skills for better negotiation
- How to avoid the "why" question trap
- Building the "undeniable" personal brand
- Why the entire sales process is negotiation
- The power of Compassionate Curiosity framework
QUOTES THAT HIT
"Because the best things in life are on the other side of difficult conversations." - Kwame Christian
"There's a big difference between being liked and being respected. Those are not the same thing." - Kwame Christian
"My goal isn't to be good, my goal isn't to be recognized, my goal is to be undeniable." - Kwame Christian
"The harder we push, the harder they push back." - Kwame Christian
CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome Kwame Christian to Mick Unplugged
02:18 Kwame Christian's Life Purpose: "Because"
04:54 Overcoming People-Pleasing With Mentorship
10:02 Why Avoiding "Why" Questions Improves Conversations
13:55 The Importance of Deep Knowledge and Credentials
19:48 Empathy and Humility in Negotiation
24:10 Convincing Others By Empowering Self-Persuasion
31:39 Compassionate Curiosity Negotiation Framework
35:23 The Origin of Kwame Christian's Negotiation Journey
37:46 Big Swings Only: New Podcast Announcement
43:27 Rapid Fire: Cooking, Loyalty, and Inspiration
QUESTIONS THIS EPISODE ANSWERS
Q: How does a leader improve their negotiation skills?
A: You need to recognize that negotiation requires three core skills: becoming a better listener, asking better questions, and managing your own and others' emotions.
Q: Why should leaders avoid asking "why" questions in difficult conversations?
A: The word "why" is often associated with judgment and criticism, triggering defensive responses and preventing open communication. Instead, use "what" or "how" questions to gather information.
Q: What is the compassionate curiosity framework in negotiation?
A: The compassionate curiosity framework has three steps: acknowledge and validate emotions, ask open-ended questions with compassion, and engage in joint problem-solving.
Connect & Discover Kwame:
Instagram: @kwamenegotiates
Podcast: Negotiate Anything
Website: kwamechristian.com
LinkedIn: @kwamechristian
TikTok: @kwamenegotiates
YouTube: @TheKwameChristian
Book: Finding Confidence in Conflict
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LinkedIn: @mickhunt
Website: MickHuntOfficial.com
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMick Hunt· Host0:01
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Speaker 20:20
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Kwame Christian· Guest0:47
Let's say hypothetically you learn all these negotiation skills. You are the perfect communicator. You navigate the conversation effectively, and you get exactly what you want. And then you come to find out it is the worst thing that could have ever happened to you. And because you didn't have that initial conversation, you didn't recognize what you really wanted.
Mick Hunt· Host1:06
[ on-hold music] Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another exciting episode of Mick Unplugged, and today I have someone that I've been looking up to for the last several years. He's guided leaders from NASA to Microsoft to LinkedIn through their toughest talks, transforming