Your Superpower is your contribution, the role that you’re put on this Earth to fill. It’s what you do better than anyone else.

Everyone has unique strengths – those things that come effortlessly and naturally to you. From Superpowers to Great Teams, a new online class offered by IDEO U in partnership with SYPartners, guides learners through a discovery process to identify their unique strengths—called Superpowers—and learn to amplify them.

Drawing from the archetypes and attributes of effective leaders, these superpowers range from empathy—a strong ability to understand the needs of others—to systems building—understanding all of the pieces of a process—to creative thinking, grit, and decisiveness, among others. Tapping into your superpower will not only help you to bring your best self to work, it will allow you to create the conditions for the people around you to thrive. Knowing yourself and how you relate to others is key to building strong relationships, great teams, and thriving organizations.

Superpower: Negotiation

Negotiators have a refined sense of balance. They can quickly build bonds but never let those relationships cloud their judgment. They’re enthusiastic and dispassionate at the same time. They’re tough and assertive but willing to compromise on all but the most important objectives. They see negotiation as both an art form and a sport. Negotiators can be invaluable to the team whenever they need to broker a deal.

Collaboration Tips

• Negotiators aren’t afraid to walk away if they can’t cut a deal they like. If they’re negotiating on your behalf, spend some time discussing alternatives, trade-offs, and risks with them in advance so you’re prepared for any outcome.
• If you’re in the position of negotiating with a Negotiator on your team, remember that they like win-win situations. As shrewd as they can be, they’re not out to get you. So, go into the conversation with a positive mindset.

Identify your superpower, build stronger work relationships, and learn how to set the conditions for thriving, collaborative teams in our new class, From Superpowers to Great Teams.