Negotiation as a Leadership Tool

Mastering negotiation can lead you to places you never dreamt of. Those locations could be leadership positions, be they formal or informal, or perhaps it is simply a place of mental clarity. Either way, both are worth the risks to get there.

By Al Dickenson — November 13, 2023

Tags: career building, career opportunities, job talks, leadership, negotiation

When we first enter the working world (or even if we have been in it for a while), we can encounter challenges in the workplace that stop us in our tracks. Maybe it is getting along with coworkers, or maybe there is a big project coming up that we are unsure how to tackle at first glance. Either way, by taking advantage of some leadership lessons, especially negotiations, which is easily learnable in college, and applying that knowledge to current endeavors, it is easy to see how to overcome these obstacles, leading the way to success and fulfillment.

Look for Opportunities in Negotiations

Regardless of your choice to take a business negotiation or conflict management class, most people who attend college have opportunities to become skilled negotiators. Perhaps you have spoken with faculty members about a project or paper extension or if the final grade was fair. Those are negotiations. At some point or another, you have likely attempted to negotiate for a second chance at revising a paper or retaking an exam. If you have not done these things yet, you likely will. Oftentimes, that is the only way to get the best outcome for yourself, even if others are looking out for you. It is important to remember to look out for yourself.

Once you graduate and enter a professional setting, you can recall what you have learned about effective negotiations. Ask yourself, "What got the best results back then?" Chances are that by exhibiting both humanity and humility — rather than airing faults or registering complaints — earned you your desired outcome, or at least something close to it. Professors often care more for your expressions of humility than they do your anger.

Though you can learn this skill in college, forgetting these lessons upon entering the workforce is common. Even if you are grateful to be offered a great job right out of school, you may be scared that any negotiations will backfire. That is a normal feeling to have.

When navigating a new space, it is normal for you to bring your best and not rock the boat in your first meetings. However, do the leadership and negotiation lessons learned in college ring any bells? Remember that the goal of a negotiation is not you winning and them losing. Instead, it is about both involved parties leaving the negotiation with positive feelings.

There are many articles out there which illustrate the benefits of negotiation. Read them. In the vast majority of cases, via simply negotiating the offer at hand, you can better your pay or benefits, obtain a better schedule, or increase the timeline for a complex project — the list could go on and on — however, the only way to do that is by advocating for yourself. Learn to get what you want through negotiating.

To become a great leader, listen to those you speak for, be they direct reports or lateral coworkers, or maybe the whole department or company. Learn what they want, and furthermore, what they need, and strive for getting them to that goal. That is a good way to become an indispensable, reliable, and beloved leader.

When applying this lesson, be sure to walk a mile in the shoes of the person you want to negotiate with. Remember, they are human, too. By doing this, you can see their humanity and understand their perspective, even if you do not agree with it.

Next, when approaching the negotiation, it is vital to be crystal clear about what you need or want and why you should have it, either when speaking for yourself or for your team. Bring data to back up your claims — performance reviews, recommendations, timelines, completed projects, and anything else you feel could be useful for your argument.

Finally, during these negotiations, be sure to include — and highlight — how this change will benefit the negotiator on the other side. As they listen to you, they will undoubtedly be asking "Why? How will this impact me?" which is a very fair question. So it is your responsibility to answer that question, preferably in a persuasive, authentic, and generous manner. The people you speak for are counting on you, and you are counting on yourself to make that positive change.

Negotiate to Make Your Life Easier

The last sections focused on how to get something from your negotiations, but what if negotiating had another purpose? Case and point, use your learned negotiating skills to make your life, and the lives of others, easier. Instead of trying to get something, maybe that could mean you refuse it, regardless of if that is a task, a timeline, or what have you. In other words, use the negotiation process to balance your life, rather than biting off more than you can chew.

So what is the lesson to be learned here about leadership? As a college student, there is often so much pressure to do what you are told, maybe from parents, friends, or society, or all three and more, but now that you have a modicum of control over your life — managing your own work/life balance, for instance, you do not have to listen to that advice if you do not want to. Use that degree of personal control to know when to say "no." If you know that you cannot do something — maybe because of skill or time or something else entirely — do not be afraid to speak up. There is a great deal of maturity that goes into that thought process, and people will recognize that if they truly have your best interests at heart. There is value in learning new things, but there is also value in learning how, where, and why to say the word "no."

However, advocating for yourself can also mean advocating for others. If someone you know or love is in mentally or physically exhausted and tends to bite off more than they can chew as well, tell them it is acceptable to say "no." Show them through your own actions — specifically by saying "no." That will earn you more followers than just about anything else in the world. Someone will be listening to you and learning from you.

Al Dickenson

Al Dickenson graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran College with bachelor’s degrees in history, communication, and English. He currently serves as an editor for an international equine practitioners’ magazine in and around Milwaukee, Wisconsin, his hometown, where he lives with his wife.

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