Research Insights
Where Shadows Hide
Each area reveals a different organizational blind spot and offers a path to making the hidden visible.
The Organizational Shadow
What organizations suppress holds the key to trust and innovation
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Organizations systematically exclude uncomfortable phenomena—failure, vulnerability, dissent, social privilege. Yet these suppressed elements are central to adaptation and resilience. My recent work in top academic journals and award-winning field studies shows how bringing the shadow into view can transform organizational learning and performance.
"What we deny doesn't disappear—it just works in the dark."
Risk & Near-Misses
The ghosts of future disasters hide in near-misses
When we narrowly avoid catastrophe, we often learn the wrong lesson—seeing success instead of warning. My research with NASA, DHS, and on Fortune 500 companies reveals how near-misses quietly normalize danger and what organizations must do to recognize these signals before disaster strikes.
"Near-misses are not lucky breaks—they're unlucky warnings we're trained to ignore."
Gender & Bias
Inequality persists through hidden everyday beliefs, not just overt discrimination
Gender inequality endures not because of individual prejudice, but through the invisible alignment of everyday beliefs with institutional structures. My research with leaders across a wide variety of industries, managers at many organizational levels, and even college students shows how what we treat as "natural" or "personal choice" systematically disadvantages women while appearing neutral and merit-based.
"The most powerful forms of bias masquerade as common sense."
Culture & Conflict
Invisible Assumptions create unnecessary conflict
Smart, well-intentioned people often misunderstand each other not because of language or overt disagreement, but because of invisible cultural assumptions. Culture supplies mental models that shape what feels appropriate, obvious, and effective. Because these assumptions go unspoken, people treat their own views as “common sense” and others’ as flawed or threatening. Exaggerated perceptions of difference then fuel avoidance, defensiveness, and conflict, undermining collaboration. My research maps these hidden assumptions and offers ways to build shared understanding—or sustain productive coexistence when agreement isn’t possible.
"Some conflicts are rooted in real values differences, but many are manufactured by unexamined assumptions, and both can be engaged productively with the right mindset."
