Warmth, strength, and rationality in leadership and economic decision-making

HBR Cases

From Cuddy et al., "Connect, Then Lead" ~

Do you agree with the statement that "90% of the variance in our positive or negative impressions about people is about warmth and/or strength?

It is difficult to judge this statement because of its complexity. However, intuitively, I feel it is a bit exaggerated but still largely true. When I think about first impressions, they seem to be largely consistent with warmth or strength. Yet there are many more considerations that do not fall into these two descriptions.

Do you agree with the statement that all people need to have a sense of belonging?

I think that having a sense of belonging is a desired state that represents more of a healthy emotional state.

What is meant by "inside-out" as opposed to "outside-in"?

An inside-out approach would be leading with your credentials and trying to appear strong while the outside-in approach would focus more on the other person and appearing caring.

Why is "inside-out" thought to be more effective?

The outside-in approach is a kinder and gentler way to work with people. It can be important to working in teams and building trust.

5) In discussing how to establish empathy with employees, the authors suggest that leaders agree with their worldview. How would a leader know the worldview of the employees?

The best way to understand the worldview of employees is to talk about them openly. It is best to avoid controversial topics such as politics or religion, but there are many others that are acceptable. Free and open dialogue is the best way to establish empathy.

2) What is the "Revenge Motive" all about?

The revenge motive basically states that our emotional state can influence our decisions. In the example given, when an individual is annoyed by a person or a circumstance then they are more likely to act in a revengeful manner than when they are in a better emotional state.

3) Comment on Apple's iPhone pricing experiment?

The pricing experiment illustrates just how important that emotional considerations are in purchasing decisions. By pricing the phone higher and then dropping the price Apple was able to make people feel like they were getting a deal. If they would have stuck with the same price then Apple would not have been able to create this emotional state. The influence of emotions in decision making is counter to the standard assumptions made in economics that people are rational in decision making. This is clearly not the case.