Leadership & The Black Swan Group – Professional Correlations

At first glance, it may seem unusual that former hostage negotiators are teaching leadership strategies to the business world. Yet the correlation between negotiation and leadership is both real and powerful. Chris Voss, founder and CEO of The Black Swan Group™, recognized these connections while serving as the FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator. The same principles that resolved life-or-death crises now help leaders achieve remarkable results in organizations across industries.

The Leadership Value of Tactical Empathy

A critical concept our cadre of Black Swan Group™ instructors used during successful hostage negotiations was Tactical Empathy®. It is a deliberate application of emotional intelligence designed specifically to recognize the perspective of a counterpart and articulating that recognition. Demonstrating an understanding of how someone feels in the moment; recognizing the motivations behind their words.

This is more than theory. A 2021 Forbes article, The Great Mistake Leaders Make About Empathy and Accountability, cited research by global consulting firm DDI. After surveying 15,000 leaders, the study found that leaders who excel at listening and responding with empathy outperform peers by more than 40% in areas such as coaching, engagement, planning, organizing, and decision-making. The link between empathy in hostage negotiations and effective leadership is undeniable.

Hostage-Negotiator Leadership

Senior Black Swan instructor Derek Gaunt, a thirty-year police veteran, coined the term Hostage-Negotiator Leadership (HNL) and in his book Ego, Authority, Failure Gaunt explains:

“HNL will help you determine the why. This requires the use of Tactical Empathy^®. Bottom line? It’s not about you. It’s about them. Knowing the why without asking why. Understanding the why means understanding the people. People are at the center of all leadership efforts.”

Practiced consistently, this approach transforms leadership. Whether communicating “up the chain” to executives or “down the chain” to direct reports, leaders who apply Tactical Empathy^® create conversations grounded in perspective, respect, and understanding.

Beyond “Being Nice”

It is important to note that Tactical Empathy^® is not simply being nice. Instead, it is demonstrating genuine curiosity and recognition of what people are experiencing. When employees feel understood rather than dismissed, they feel safer, more respected, and more engaged. Trust grows when people believe their leader “gets it.”

Black Swan methods, such as Mirrors™, Labels™, Dynamic Silence™, and Summaries, provide leaders with practical tools to achieve this. These skills helped negotiators succeed in over 93% of hostage negotiations and now empower leaders to listen actively, resolve conflict, and influence outcomes while honoring human emotion.

Leadership in Action

Ultimately, Tactical Empathy^® is leadership in practice. It is not sympathy.  It is strategic connection, turning understanding into influence.

Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, wrote:

“When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts… but when we focus on others, our world expands.”

By adopting Tactical Empathy^®, leaders expand their influence, strengthen relationships, and create the conditions for long-term success.