“The union used the threat of a strike as leverage to secure better wages.”
That’s leverage. One sentence. No MBA required.
Leverage is the reason the other side moves. It’s whatever you hold — or they think you hold — that makes saying no to you more painful than saying yes.
”I Have No Leverage”
That’s the most common thing people say before a tough negotiation. And it’s almost never true.
It usually means: “I haven’t done the work to find it.”
When we analyzed 234 ransomware negotiations for our NegIQ-234 research, we saw this play out at the extremes. Criminal gangs held what looked like all the leverage — your data is encrypted, your business is down, pay or lose everything.
Most victims responded the way you’d expect. Panic. Desperation. “We’ll pay whatever you want.”
They got crushed.
The ones who got the best outcomes did something different. They didn’t have leverage — so they built it.
"A payment that size triggers a regulatory review. That freezes everything — maybe zero for you and no decryption for us."
The constraint was real. But by framing it as the attacker’s problem, it became leverage. Another negotiator simply slowed everything down — “We’re working through our internal process. We’ll need a few days to evaluate options.” Every day they didn’t pay, the attacker got more nervous about getting nothing. Time became leverage.
These weren’t people with power. They were people who created it — from constraints, from process, from patience.
Leverage Is Not an Ultimatum
People confuse these constantly. An ultimatum is “take it or leave it.” It’s a blunt instrument. It closes doors.
Leverage opens them. The union didn’t say “give us better wages or else.” They said “we’d rather not strike, but our members are getting restless.” That’s leverage with a velvet glove. The threat is real, but the door stays open.
Three Flavors
Positive — you have something they want. A competing offer, a skill set that’s hard to replace, timing that works in your favor. They come to you because walking away has a cost.
Negative — you can make things worse for them. Public scrutiny, lost business, delayed timelines. They move to avoid pain. Used carefully, this is powerful. Used clumsily, it becomes an ultimatum.
Normative — you use their own words, standards, or precedents against them. Your boss said “we reward top performers.” You just had a record quarter. Now you’re asking for a raise — using their words.
"They either honor what they said or admit they didn’t mean it. People hate looking like hypocrites."
That’s what makes normative leverage quiet and devastating — you’re not threatening anything. You’re just holding up a mirror.
Before your next negotiation, identify which type of leverage you’re working with. Normative is almost always available and almost always overlooked.
You Don’t Find Leverage. You Build It.
This applies everywhere — job offer, vendor contract, rent increase, client deal. Before you sit down, ask yourself:
What’s their timeline? If it’s tighter than yours, that’s leverage. What have they said publicly? If it contradicts their position, that’s leverage. What alternatives do you have — even bad ones? Any alternative changes your posture. What do you know that they don’t know you know? Information is leverage.
The best negotiators don’t wait for leverage. They manufacture it.
Want to know how you naturally create or give away leverage? Take the free assessment and find out your negotiation style.