Living and working in groups is both a blessing and a curse. Too often, groups are in the news for all the wrong reasons: conformity, polarization, prejudice, conflict, and general mass stupidity. The secret is understanding how to work with the invisible forces of group dynamics instead of being mindlessly pushed around by them.

In this interview, Dr. Colin Fisher shares his research on what leaders need to know and do in order to get their teams to perform up to their potential. He also shares how conformity can be used as an asset and competition can be detrimental to the way groups and teams operate. Because one of the methods of creating group cohesion is to create an “out” group, Dr. Fisher finishes with a conversation about ways in which the division plaguing many countries can be repaired.

Dr. Fisher received his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University, and previously worked as an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at Boston University’s School of Management. Prior to his Ph.D. he studied improvisation in the arts at New York University (M.A.) and jazz trumpet at New England Conservatory of Music (B.Mus.). In his prior career as a jazz trumpet player, Colin was a long-time member of the Grammy-nominated Either/Orchestra, with whom he toured extensively and recorded several critically acclaimed albums.

Originally from Redmond, Washington in the USA, he now lives in Northeast London with his wife and two children. He can sometimes be found performing at jazz jams throughout London.