👤 Hosted by Charles Simonetti ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlessimonetti/ ),Advisor to CEOs & Executive Teams and Founder of ”On a Quest.” ( https://www.onaquest.eu/ ),”Everyone is a Leader.” is a leadership podcast for Executives, Investors & Business Leaders.🎙️ Today’s guest: Nafees Hamid, PhD (https://nafeeshamid.org/ / nafees-hamid-phd / @drnafeeshamid )A cognitive scientist and field researcher who has scanned the brains of extremists, negotiated with radicalized individuals, and studied how identity and belief systems drive human behavior.He is the Research & Policy Director of XCEPT, based at the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, and advises governments worldwide on preventing political violence, negotiating conflict, and peacebuilding.In this episode of Everyone is a Leader, host Charles Simonetti (founder of On a Quest.) sits down with Dr. Nafees Hamid (https://nafeeshamid.org/ / nafees-hamid-phd / @drnafeeshamid ) —cognitive scientist, field researcher, and Research & Policy Director at XCEPT (King’s College London).Dr. Hamid’s work scans the brains of extremists and negotiates high-stakes geopolitical conflicts. In this conversation, he explains why the traditional ”rational actor model”—relying strictly on financial carrots, sticks, and cost-benefit analyses—fails when dealing with human beings in business, leadership, and negotiation.Key Discussion Points:- Devoted Actors vs. Rational Actors: Why people are motivated far more by identity, sacred values, and purpose than purely transactional incentives.- Re-engaging the Disaffected: How to listen to actively disengaged employees and leverage their critical diagnostic skills to improve your organization rather than turning them into adversaries.- Navigating Asymmetric Conflict: Why ”perspective giving” matters more than ”perspective taking,” how to defuse competitive victimhood, and the power of public symbolic concessions.- Empathy vs. Compassion: The crucial neurological distinction between absorbing trauma (which leads to burnout) and bringing compassionate, benevolent energy into the room.- The Limits of Mass Persuasion: Why broadcast advertising and top-down messaging frequently fail in high-stakes environments without genuine social interaction and community-driven connection.- Identity Before Ideology: Why people join political or corporate groups for belonging and agency long before they buy into the actual ideas.Episode Chapters00:00 – Introduction: Dr. Nafees Hamid01:12 – The Flaw in the ”Rational Actor” Model03:15 – Rational Actors vs. Devoted Actors05:10 – The Parallel Between Disaffected Citizens & Disengaged Employees08:05 – Why Top-Down Solutions Backfire (The MolenGeek Case)11:00 – Harnessing Subversiveness: Using Criticism Productively13:15 – The Motivation Trap: Rewarding Highly Engaged Talent15:35 – Negotiating Deep Conflict Beyond Material Interests17:50 – Asymmetric Conflicts & The Power of Being Heard19:40 – Breaking Competitive Victimhood with Symbolic Concessions21:50 – Empathy vs. Compassion: A Neurological Shift24:30 – Why Mass Advertising Campaigns Fail26:50 – Building True Client Devotion & Community29:10 – Identity Before Ideology: Why People Really Join Groups30:40 – Final Takeaway: Connecting to the Internal Narrative35:15 – The Motivation Paradox: How Material Rewards Lower Engagement41:20 – Negotiating Deep Conflict Beyond Costs and Benefits48:00 – Asymmetric Conflict, Perspective Giving & Competitive Victimhood53:40 – Empathy vs. Compassion: A Neurological Shift in High-Stakes Mediation01:00:15 – Why Mass Persuasion & Advertising Fail01:06:30 – Building True Client Devotion Through Community01:10:15 – Identity Over Ideology & Final Leadership Takeaways