The Insightful Leader I Respectfully Disagree
Nov 24, 2025
Steve Frankenery, a Northwestern professor of psychology and marketing, discusses the art of constructive disagreement. He introduces his board game, Point Taken, which helps navigate polarizing topics like hot dogs and politics by emphasizing calmness and clarity. Listeners learn the importance of emotional readiness, humility, and the power of writing to enhance arguments. The conversation also highlights practical rules for leaders to foster better discussions, including avoiding personal attacks and changing conversation goals, making disagreements productive rather than divisive.
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Ketchup Fight Reveals Identity Ties
- Chicago staff argued passionately about ketchup including one person who kept a $3 bottle in a locked safe.
- The debate illustrated how trivial preferences become identity markers and fuel conflict at work.
Disagreement Costs Are Real
- Polarizing issues push people to see opponents as existential threats, breaking workplace relationships.
- Poor conflict skills are widespread and costly for organizations in productivity losses.
Game Born From Family Friction
- Steve Frankenery created a board game, Point Taken, to train people in better disagreements.
- He built it after noticing rising irrationality among friends, family, and public discourse.