What everyone from hostage negotiators to The Beatles teach us about having productive disagreements, with Ian Leslie, author of Conflicted

In conversation with Pamela Druckerman

Conflict and disagreement have the power to make us smarter, more creative and more empathetic. Instead, we too often find ourselves mired in hostility or - worse - avoiding disagreement altogether. Author and journalist Ian Leslie argues that this is because most of us never learn how to air our differences in a way that leads to progress.

While researching his book Conflicted: How Productive Disagreements Lead to Better Outcomes, Leslie talked to experts in tough, conflict-ridden situations: interrogators, hostage negotiators, divorce mediators, diplomats, addiction counsellors, and members of rock bands. Combining their insights with cutting-edge research from psychology, he has drawn together a series of lessons on how to make our arguments more productive - at home, at work, and in public.

Ian Leslie writes about psychology, culture, technology and business for the New Statesman, the Economist, the Guardian and the Financial Times. He co-hosted the podcast series Polarised, on the way we do politics today, and created and presented the BBC radio comedy series Before They Were Famous. He also advises CEOs and CMOs on communication and workplace culture. Ian is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the author of two previous books on human behaviour - Curious and Born Liars. His first career was in advertising, as a creative strategist for some of the world’s biggest brands. He lives in London..

Pamela Druckerman is the author of five books including Paris By Phone, a rhyming picture book for kids.