Build better relationships at work

What It Covers

Therapist and author Esther Perel joins Masters of Scale to examine why workplace relationships are a competitive business advantage, how 65% of startups fail due to founder conflict, and what tools leaders can use to build relational intelligence as AI reshapes how humans connect at work.

Key Questions Answered

• •Founder Conflict Prevention: Research by Noam Wasserman shows 65% of startup failures stem from co-founder relationship breakdowns. To reduce this risk, founders should meet outside the work context before launching, explicitly discuss how previous business partnerships ended, and surface underlying power dynamics early rather than waiting until conflicts become entrenched.
• •Conflict Diagnosis Framework: When co-founders or colleagues fight repeatedly, the subject of each argument is rarely the real issue. Underlying conflicts cluster around three recurring themes: power and control over decisions, trust and mutual support, and recognition of contributions. Identifying which category drives a conflict resolves it faster than addressing individual incidents.
• •Relational Intelligence as Competitive Edge: Culture Amp data validates that companies with strong relational intelligence produce better culture, higher engagement, and stronger performance. Relationship-building is now the one capability AI cannot replicate, making it a primary differentiator. Leaders should treat relational skills as a measurable intelligence category, not a soft or secondary priority.
• •Intentional Re-socialization for Hybrid Teams: Simply returning employees to a physical office does not restore connection. Remote work has caused measurable social atrophy, particularly in younger workers who never developed in-person skills. Leaders should design structured, premeditated interactions — opening meetings with a personal prompt card, shared meals, or team rituals — rather than assuming proximity creates bonds.
• •Ladder of Inference for Conflict Resolution: Psychologist Peter Senge's ladder of inference offers a practical de-escalation tool: trace any behavioral reaction back through the conclusion it rests on, then the assumption beneath that, then the original observation that triggered it. This process reveals how subjective and often inaccurate initial readings of colleagues' behavior are, reducing unnecessary conflict.