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Why do smart CEOs prioritize alignment over conflict when the stakes are highest? Every major negotiation — with investors, employees, customers, partners, or acquisition targets — shapes the long-term health of your business. But too many leaders still approach negotiations as a battle to win rather than an opportunity to build trust, expand the pie, and create better outcomes for everyone involved. In this episode, Jim Schleckser sits down with negotiation expert Stan Christensen to unpack why the smartest CEOs focus on fairness, relationship management, and strategic preparation rather than pressure tactics and positional bargaining. By listening to this episode, you'll learn how to: Build stronger long-term business relationships by approaching negotiations as collaborative problem-solving instead of zero-sum conflict Avoid costly emotional decisions by using pauses, preparation, and strategic thinking to stay in control during high-stakes conversations Create better outcomes in salary discussions, M&A deals, and everyday negotiations by uncovering what truly matters to the other side Play this episode now to discover why the CEOs who consistently get the best deals are the ones who prioritize alignment over conflict in every important negotiation. Check out: 08:45 — Stan Christensen explains why the best negotiations focus on fairness, relationship management, and expanding the pie instead of treating negotiation as adversarial conflict. 27:10 — A powerful discussion on how CEOs should approach compensation, ownership, and aligning incentives for long-term wealth creation and leadership growth. 45:20 — Stan shares a fascinating real-world negotiation strategy used in a car-buying scenario that completely changes the game and shifts leverage back to the buyer. About Stan Christensen Mr. Christensen is currently the host of "All Things Negotiation," a popular negotiation podcast. He was a co-Founder of Arbor Advisors, a boutique investment bank in Silicon Valley, which he ran for 20 years. Previously, he worked as a mediator and negotiation advisor at Conflict Management Group. In this capacity, he worked in over 75 countries, negotiating transactions and mediating conflicts. He is a former Kellogg Fellow and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He has taught Negotiation at Stanford University for over 20 years. His BA is from Brigham Young University, and he has an MBA from Harvard Business School.
In this episode, we're joined by Stan Christensen, a veteran dealmaker, negotiation expert, and founder of Arbor Advisors. With over two decades of experience teaching negotiation at Stanford University and leading high-stakes transactions in the tech world, Stan offers a masterclass in how to navigate complex deals, align incentives, and come out ahead—whether you're raising capital, selling your company, or simply trying to keep a negotiation from falling apart. Stan shares his career-defining moments, hard-earned insights from the front lines of investment banking, and why most founders misunderstand who really does the work behind the scenes. This is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, operators, and anyone who wants to become a better negotiator.
Arbor Advisors co-founder and managing director, Stan Christensen joins Moe Abdou to explore the misconceptions of raising capital, selling companies, and effective negotiations.
Stan Christensen, a partner at Arbor Advisors, offers advice on transactional negotiations and relationship management geared toward the student embarking upon their career. Topics covered include choosing a career, on-the-job expectations, work/life balance, and benefit mediation.
Stan Christensen is a partner at Arbor Advisors, an investment banking firm where he negotiates on behalf of mid-market technology companies. In this lecture, Christensen builds a framework and illuminates a few of the classical mistakes in negotiation. He defines negotiation as an attempt to persuade or influence a situation. He emphasizes relationship management and problem solving as being fundamental to negotiation. He also alludes to the conceptual framework by illustrating examples from his vast global experience.
Stan Christensen is a partner at Arbor Advisors, an investment banking firm where he negotiates on behalf of mid-market technology companies. In this lecture, Christensen builds a framework and illuminates a few of the classical mistakes in negotiation. He defines negotiation as an attempt to persuade or influence a situation. He emphasizes relationship management and problem solving as being fundamental to negotiation. He also alludes to the conceptual framework by illustrating examples from his vast global experience.
Stan Christensen is a partner at Arbor Advisors, an investment banking firm where he negotiates on behalf of mid-market technology companies. In this lecture, Christensen builds a framework and illuminates a few of the classical mistakes in negotiation. He defines negotiation as an attempt to persuade or influence a situation. He emphasizes relationship management and problem solving as being fundamental to negotiation. He also alludes to the conceptual framework by illustrating examples from his vast global experience.