Leslie Greenwood

Chief Evangelist, Community Strategist, Co-Founder of Wednesday Women, Startup Advisor, Ex-Stay-At-Home Mom

I'm the Co-Founder of Wednesday Women and the Founder of Chief Evangelist Consulting: two ventures grounded in a core belief: community isn’t a tactic, it’s a force.

Wednesday Women began as a ripple in 2023 as a small, intentional effort to elevate executive women. We amplify women’s voices on LinkedIn, on stages, on podcasts, not as polished personas, but as their real, remarkable selves (the woman behind the title). Our public platform is for everyone, and we’ve built a private membership for executive women who want to go deeper with that mission and create connections both help unlock challenges but also are their biggest cheerleaders. 

Through Chief Evangelist Consulting, I help companies design community strategies that create lasting engagement. With 20+ years in customer-facing leadership roles, I approach community as a strategic lever, rooted in trust, value, and connection.

At the heart of everything I do is a belief in the power of evangelism, authenticity, and shared momentum.

And yes — I run on coffee, dark chocolate, trying (and failing) to keep me very vocal dog in check and talking loudly about diversity in tech.

Ambassador

Advocating for Pavilion’s mission of helping every leader and their team achieve their professional potential through community-powered learning. I will be supporting key initiatives, developing and teaching curriculum for Pavilion University and providing over 10,000 members with leadership advice. Join us at joinpavilion.com.

Negotiation | Consultant & Professor with 30+ years of global experience | Negotiation by Design | Negotiation Institutional Capacity Building | #NegotiationByDesign | Dutiful Advocate to my Clients |

Need to strengthen your negotiation strategy and drive more profitable deals?

As a global negotiation consultant and professor, I help organizations build an Institutional Negotiation Capacity—transforming negotiation into a strategic advantage.

I’ve spent three decades honing my craft—originally sparked by a chance encounter in a negotiation workshop led by Roger Fisher. 

That serendipitous moment ignited my passion for negotiation, and since then I’ve guided executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders at world-renowned institutions like the Kellogg School of Management, McGill University, and Columbia University’s ICCCR.

At Negotiation by Design®, we go beyond surface-level tactics. We embed negotiation into your organizational DNA, cultivating a shared language, continuous learning, and long-term strategic advantage. 

Fluent in Spanish, English, and French, and backed by degrees from Columbia University, DePauw University, and an EMBA from Kellogg, I bring a nuanced global perspective to every client engagement.

My personal life—parenting Mateo and Anabel, exploring trails on my mountain bike, and cooking up a storm—has taught me that the best lessons often arise from unexpected moments. These experiences remind me that true negotiation mastery combines skill, humility, and a human touch.

Together, let’s transform how your organization negotiates—unlocking better deals, stronger relationships, and sustainable results.

Ready to unlock your team’s full potential? 

Click “Connect” or “Message” me now, and let’s explore how I can support you.

Or book a meeting at  https://calendly.com/negotiationbydesign

Pablo Restrepo

Most people think negotiation is arguing.

It isn’t a showdown. It’s a puzzle you solve together.

But solving that puzzle well requires a different mindset and a few key principles.

1. Interests (both sides):
Positions are what people say they want. Interests are why they want it.
Miss the “why,” and you’ll fight about the wrong thing.

2. Joint problem-solving:
Less “me vs you.” 
More “us vs the problem.”
Share enough to solve it. Verify enough to trust it.

3. The whole package:
If you only talk about price, you trap yourself.
Better deals come from trading across time, risk, scope, quality, guarantees, and payment. Then price.

4. Grow it, then split it:
First: find trades that make both sides better off.
Then: divide what’s left. Don’t start with a tug-of-war.

5. Clear process, unclear outcome:
You can control the steps (prep, questions, sequence).
You can’t control their answers.
A good process keeps you strong when things get messy.

6. Plan B = calm:
No Plan B? Every “no” feels like danger.
With a good Plan B, you can say yes or walk, without drama.

7. Skill, not personality:
Good negotiators aren’t “born.”
They practice with role-plays, get feedback, and improve. Like a sport.

If negotiation feels stressful, it’s usually because you’re doing the NOT side.

Save this and tell me: Which one do you see people mess up the most?

PS: Happy New Year!!!

Most deals don't die on price.

They fail because something fundamental is broken:

Process, Psychology, Authority, or Uncertainty.

The real issues aren't about pushing harder at the end. They're built into the deal long before that moment.

When negotiations slow down, the instinct is to apply pressure.

But that usually backfires.

Pressure creates reluctant signatures, messy implementations, and quick re-trades.

I see this all the time in complex negotiations.

Deals rarely fall apart over value.

They fail because of poor design , no shared process, the wrong decision makers in the room, fights over forecasts instead of mechanisms, authority issues surfacing too late.

Closing isn't about closing; it's about designing.

It's about agreeing on how decisions will be made, using time as a structure, not a weapon.

It's about trading concessions, not giving them away.

And helping the other side say yes, without losing face internally.

If a deal can't be implemented on Monday morning, it's not ready to sign.

And if it's worse than your best alternative, walking away isn't just an option , it's a power move.

Always be designing, never just pressuring.

Because the real close begins long before the final signature.

11 Closing Moves

La “mitad y mitad” suena justa… pero destruye valor.

Antes de negociar posiciones, tómate 2 minutos para mapear intereses y haz estas 3 preguntas:

1-¿Para qué necesitas esto? (uso)

2-¿Qué pasaría si no lo tienes? (dolor / urgencia)

3-¿Qué parte te importa más y cuál te da igual? (trade-offs)

Muchas veces el “conflicto” no era por la naranja.

Era por no haber preguntado.

Differentiation Expert | Sales Keynote Speaker | Bestselling Author | Helping organizations achieve profitable growth through value-based selling | #BeDifferent

¿Cómo repartir una naranja entre dos personas? 

Esta es la respuesta que nos da Pablo Restrepo experto en negociación, con el ejemplo de dos hermanas…

Dos hermanas discuten por la última naranja. La solución “justa”: partirla por la mitad.

Pero ahí está el error. Esa decisión se enfoca en el resultado, no en el proceso.

Cuando se entienden los intereses, todo cambia.

Una hermana quería jugo. La otra necesitaba la cáscara para hacer una torta.

¿La mejor solución? Una se lleva toda la pulpa. La otra, toda la cáscara.

Los buenos negociadores no reparten el valor. Primero entienden qué lo crea.

#ValueSelling #VentadeValor Negotiation by Design

When negotiation turns into a courtroom, value shrinks

The ego enjoys winning... then pays later

Stop the ego spiral that turns negotiation into fights. Lead with needs to create better deals, smoother rollout, and fewer grudges. Use rules or leverage only as guardrails.

Rights- and power-based negotiation can “win” today… and still drain value, trust, and follow-through. Signing is easy. Living with it is hard.

Next time you're tempted to escalate into a rights or power duel, try this:

• Catch the ego flinch.
When you feel challenged, your brain wants status: prove I’m right or show I’m strong.

• Name the game you’re playing.
“Are we solving needs, debating fairness, or flexing leverage?”

• Pull it back to interests, fast.
“What are you trying to protect or achieve with that?”

• Turn emotion into priorities.
“Pick your top two concerns. Which one matters most?”

• Use ‘fair’ like a ruler, not a sword.
“What standard would you trust to judge this?”

• Use power like a seatbelt.
“If we can’t fix X by Friday, we’ll take option B. I’d rather solve it. What would make X workable?”

• Design three deals, not two threats.
Build two packages that trade priorities, then use standards to check fairness at the end.

Watch out for these traps:
• Arguing “fair” vs “fair.”
Fix: Agree on standards first, then design terms.

• Threatening to feel in control.
Fix: State consequences calmly + leave a door open to interests.

When a supplier says “policy,” you counter with “policy,” and suddenly you’re in a courtroom.
Instead, ask: “What are you trying to protect with that policy?” 
Build two packages, then use the policy as a final fairness check.

Lead with interests to create options.
Add rights to legitimize.
Add power only to set boundaries when good-faith problem-solving fails.

The real trade-off:
Are you protecting authority today, or the relationship that will make this deal work tomorrow?

PS: Save this before your next negotiation.

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Qué gusto leer esto, Nicolas.

Me entusiasma muchísimo el aporte que traes a Negotiation by Design: una mezcla rara y valiosa de método, criterio, y experiencia real en contextos complejos, multiculturales y de alta presión. Se nota que tu manera de negociar no viene de la teoría, viene de años de construir confianza, mapear actores, leer el contexto con curiosidad y llegar preparado para crear valor, no para “ganar” a punta de regateo.

Y me encanta la historia completa: la semilla en 2004, el recorrido por el mundo y el regreso con propósito para poner esa experiencia al servicio de otros. Eso dice mucho de ti.

Ojalá este inicio sea el principio de una relación larga, sólida y muy fructífera. Hay mucho por construir juntos y muchos clientes que se van a beneficiar de lo que estás trayendo a la mesa.

 ¡Vamos con todo, y por más almuerzos celebrando proyectos exitosos! 🍊

De reconexiones, caminos de la vida y propósito.

A Pablo Restrepo  lo conocí a inicios de mi carrera profesional. Era el año 2004 y Colombia negociaba el Tratado de Libre Comercio con Estados Unidos, mejor conocido como el TLC. Yo trabajaba en la Dirección de Inversión Extranjera del Ministerio de Comercio y asistía a las reuniones de preparación del TLC.  Pablo y su empresa Tandem, asesoraban al gobierno colombiano para construir y ejecutar la mejor estrategia de negociación. 

Desde ese momento, algo resonó en mi con el tema de negociación. Me gustaba la idea de ver los asuntos de manera amplia y no bajo el tradicional esquema adversarial y de regateo, tan propio de nuestra cultura latina. Además, había organización y método, lo cual ayudaba para aumentar la visibilidad, identificar fortalezas y debilidades, y llegar a las negociaciones con un plan previamente acordado. No simplemente a jugar una partida de póker en la mesa del más poderoso. Ahí… una semilla se sembró. 

Después, decidí que mi camino profesional debía cambiar, buscar nuevos horizontes y explorar el mundo. Durante 12 años, tuve la fortuna de vivir en Ecuador, Malasia, Mexico, Rusia y Estados Unidos. Muchas cosas evolucionaron en ese tiempo, la familia creció, los equipos de trabajo y las responsabilidades aumentaron y, aunque los retos profesionales eran diferentes, siempre construí con base en la confianza, el respeto y la preparación, como elementos universales para enfrentar los retos con resultados exitosos. 

Si bien, en el papel, mi responsabilidad eran los asuntos legales y corporativos, en el fondo mi interés e influencia trascendían más allá. Aprendiendo a leer los contextos con curiosidad, escanear y conectar actores con empatía, y dibujar mapas de relaciones para buscar soluciones a asuntos complejos.  Entonces, recurrentemente pensaba… ¿No es eso, acaso, lo que hace un buen negociador? ¿No es eso lo que me ha permitido transitar satisfactoriamente negociaciones comerciales, resolución de un conflictos o crisis inesperadas?

Por eso, después de muchos años de vida corporativa alrededor del mundo y tras un proceso de transición enriquecedor al regresar a mi país, lo busqué y le dije… Pablo: en Colombia y en el resto del mundo, aún hay muchas cosas por hacer, muchos caminos por explorar y clientes que necesitan entender el poder de la negociación en su justa dimensión; porque solo así, se puede comprender todo el valor que se puede crear y las relaciones de confianza que se pueden afianzar, dejando atrás los egos y generando valor. 

Fast forward… 22 años después, acá estamos, disfrutando una buena comida dominicana, juntando método con experiencia, y alineando esfuerzos para empoderar a organizaciones e individuos para alcanzar su mayor potencial en negociación.    

Negotiation by Design 🍊 … off we go!

The biggest risk in your deal isn’t price.

It's the invisible veto you don't see coming.

Every "1:1" deal hides a crowd behind the scenes.
In multilateral negotiations, this crowd becomes the real battlefield.

More parties mean more vetoes, more politics, more ways for the deal to die before it ever lives.

Most so-called bilateral negotiations are actually two coalitions facing each other.

If you don't map stakeholders on both sides, you're negotiating blind.

Here's the brutal truth: you can close the deal with your counterpart and still get killed internally.
Signed is just the start.
Implementation is where deals go to die, on both sides.

That's why I use the Stakeholder Chessboard.

It's a simple model built on two questions:

1. Trust: Do they believe us?
2. Agreement: Do they want this?

Plot everyone, on your side and theirs.

Stop guessing.

From there, every stakeholder is one of five characters:

• Allies: high trust, high agreement.
Turn them into advocates, give them roles, arm them with talking points.

• Undecided: not committed.
Engage immediately, simplify options, and ask for small wins.

• Opponents: high trust, low agreement.
Treat resistance as gold. Co-design solutions. Trade protections for support.

• Bedfellows: low trust, high agreement.
Stop selling. De-risk with guardrails, pilots, and clear commitments.

• Adversaries: low trust, low agreement.
Contain and expose blockers. Use clear processes and forced constructive dialogue.

Question: Which character is blocking your deal right now?
Allies, Undecided, Opponents, Bedfellows, or Adversaries?
Identify them.
Stop guessing.
Start winning.

Stakeholders Mapping in Negotiation

Negotiating with my kids
taught me how to negotiate with anyone.

Not because they’re “easy.”
Because they’re the purest negotiators on earth:

They don’t care about your title.
They don’t fear your authority.
They don’t politely hide what they want.

They go straight for emotion, leverage, and logic; in that order.

After 30+ years of teaching negotiation, the biggest upgrades to my skillset didn’t come from boardrooms.

They came from my kitchen.

Here’s what my children taught me that works with anyone:
	
1️⃣ If they feel unheard, logic is useless

You can have the best argument in the world…
and still lose.

So I start with:
“Help me understand what matters most to you.”

Not soft. Strategic.
	
2️⃣ Positions are noise. Interests are signal

Kids say: “I want to go.”
Adults say: “We need this clause.”

Same thing. Same mistake.
The real question is always:
“What problem are you trying to solve?”
	
3️⃣ Boundaries beat lectures

Long explanations invite debate.

Clear boundaries create clarity:
“I’m open to this, under these conditions.”
	
4️⃣ Timing is leverage

When emotions are high, you don’t need better words.
You need a better moment.

Pause. Reset. Return.
	
5️⃣ Fairness is subjective, so negotiate the definition

Kids don’t want “equal.”
They want “fair.”

Executives do the same. They just use spreadsheets.

So I ask:
“What would fair look like to you, specifically?”
	
6️⃣ You don’t need to win the moment; you need to win the relationship

With kids, you learn fast:

If you “win” by force, you lose trust.
And trust is the currency of every future deal.

That’s the lesson most negotiators learn too late.

Because the hardest counterpart isn’t a CEO.
It’s someone who knows you… and isn’t impressed by you.

Have your kids ever out-negotiated you?
What did they do that you secretly respected?

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The Battle

Leslie Greenwood

Pablo Restrepo

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The Battle

Leslie Greenwood

Pablo Restrepo

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Pablo Restrepo's LinkedIn Performance

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