You hold back in meetings, overthink your phrasing, and hesitate to challenge your manager — not because you lack ideas, but because authority makes you freeze. The result? Silence, lost potential, and shrinking confidence.

In this episode, Martin Wolf and Dr. Verena Seibert-Giller break down the concept of Power Distance, a psychological and cultural dynamic that shapes how we respond to hierarchy. When the gap between roles feels too wide, even high performers shut down.

They explore:

– Why fear of status loss leads to idea suppression and groupthink

– How cultural and generational factors play into deference

– What high power distance environments do to initiative and innovation

– Subtle ways hierarchy is enforced — and how to recognize it

– Psychological tools to stay expressive, even when the stakes feel high

With practical examples and strategies, this episode helps you untangle respect from silence, and authority from intimidation — so you can show up with more clarity and confidence, no matter who’s in the room.

You’re about to pitch to people you’ve never met. And instead of focusing on your idea, your brain fixates on fitting in — or worse, being dismissed. But persuasion doesn’t start with logic. It starts with perceived similarity.

In this episode, Martin Wolf and Dr. Verena Seibert-Giller explore the Similarity-Attraction Paradigm, a psychological principle that explains why people are more receptive to those who seem “like them” — in mindset, values, or tone. When those signals are missing, your audience instinctively pulls away, no matter how good the content is.

Together, they unpack:

– Why strong ideas fall flat when social distance is too high

– How first impressions shape openness — in pitches, onboarding, or feedback

– The role of subtle value cues in building fast trust

– Why shared identity beats technical brilliance in early conversations

– A four-part hack to anchor similarity without faking it

This episode shows how to create instant relevance with any audience — not by changing your message, but by framing your identity in a way that feels familiar. Especially helpful for leaders, freelancers, and anyone navigating unfamiliar rooms.

Why do we so often follow the most confident voice in the room—even when it’s not the most competent? In this episode, Martin Wolf and Dr. Verena Seibert-Giller explore the Dunning-Kruger effect, a cognitive bias where people with lower ability tend to overestimate their competence, while true experts stay quiet—doubting themselves.

You’ll learn:

– Why loud confidence is often mistaken for competence in meetings

– How this bias can derail decision-making, innovation, and team trust

– What psychological traps meeting leaders fall into when they don’t actively manage group dynamics

– How to create meeting structures that amplify quiet expertise instead of just dominant voices

This episode offers practical advice for anyone running meetings—and a clear call to action for all the silent experts out there: your voice matters. Learn how to speak up with impact and how to build a team culture where knowledge wins over noise.

Why do teams start to mirror the tone, pace, and even emotional climate of their leader? And why do we so often adapt—consciously or not—to fit into the group we're part of?

In this episode, Martin Wolf and Dr. Verena Seibert-Giller unpack the psychological principle of social conformity and emotional contagion—two key forces that drive our need to blend in and match the behavior of those around us, especially in workplace hierarchies.

Together, they explore:

– Why we unconsciously copy the behavior and emotional tone of our boss

– How group belonging impacts performance, morale, and personal identity

– What leaders unknowingly transfer to their teams through tone and attitude

– How to consciously use this effect to fit into new teams or positively shape their culture

Whether you're a team member trying to find your place or a leader looking to set the right tone, this episode reveals how group psychology quietly drives everyday business dynamics—and how you can influence it with intention.

We’ve all been there: a task wasn’t done, a message was “misunderstood,” or a deadline quietly slipped by. But what if the root problem isn’t poor communication — it’s the assumption that communication has already happened?

In this episode, Martin Wolf and Dr. Verena Seibert-Giller dive into the false consensus effect, a well-documented psychological bias that leads us to believe others share our knowledge, expectations, or interpretations — when they often don’t.

Together, they explore:

– Why we overestimate how clearly we've communicated

– How this bias leads to silent misalignment in teams and projects

– Why leaders are especially vulnerable to it — and how it undermines delivery

– The ripple effect on collaboration, trust, and organizational culture

Compact, but filled with insights from psychology and real-world examples, this episode reveals how a hidden mental shortcut shapes daily business — and what to do instead if you want clarity, accountability, and stronger performance.

In this very first episode, your hosts Dr. Verena Seibert-Giller and Martin Wolf introduce you to the Business & Psychology podcast:

We talk about:

– Who we are and why we started this podcast

– Our shared obsession with the human factor behind everyday business behavior

What you can expect from each episode:

• One psychological insight per session

• Backed by science – but easy to digest

• Full of real-world examples and hacks you can actually use

About us:

Verena is a psychologist and founder of the UX Psychology Lens, where she connects behavioral science with user experience, strategy, and design.

Martin is a leadership expert and author of The Psychology of Workplace Dynamics, helping leaders decode invisible patterns in teams and culture.

We created this podcast to make psychology in business both practical and powerful – whether you’re leading people, working in a team, or just curious why people do what they do.

Subscribe, share, and let’s explore what truly drives business: human behavior.