Biography
Kerry Patterson coauthors influential books that help people tackle tough conversations, drive change, and build accountability at work and beyond. He cofounded VitalSmarts (now Crucial Learning) and spent decades developing training that organizations implement globally. He earned a master’s degree from Brigham Young University and completed doctoral work in organizational behavior at Stanford, and he has taught and consulted widely. The Kerry Patterson book list includes Crucial Conversations, Crucial Accountability, Influencer, and Change Anything—bestselling titles that continue to shape modern leadership and communication practices.
Author Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Born On | Unknown (8) |
| Genre | management (1), nonfiction (30) |
| Category | Business (233) |
| Topics | accountability (30), change (101), communication (196), influence (70), leadership (111) |
| Audiences | executives (119), leaders (2619), managers (441), professionals (751), trainers (231) |
Popularity Score
Kerry Patterson is an American author, educator, and cofounder of VitalSmarts (now Crucial Learning). He is best known for coauthoring the New York Times bestsellers Crucial Conversations, Crucial Accountability, Influencer, and Change Anything. His work focuses on high‑stakes communication, behavior change, and leadership skills adopted by organizations worldwide. He has designed influential training programs and advised leaders across industries for decades. Explore the Kerry Patterson book list to see his practical, research‑based approach to influence, accountability, and effective dialogue in business and life.
Interview Questions
What sparked the idea for Crucial Conversations?
We saw that the biggest derailers in organizations weren’t technical problems but moments when stakes were high, opinions differed, and emotions ran strong. We set out to create a teachable framework so people could talk about almost anything and strengthen results and relationships.
What’s your top tip for starting a high‑stakes conversation?
Start with heart—clarify what you really want for yourself, others, and the relationship. Then make it psychologically safe by showing mutual purpose and respect. With safety in place, you can share facts and your story and invite others to share theirs.
How do you define “influence” in your work?
Influence is the ability to help people change behavior in sustainable ways. In our model, you diagnose vital behaviors and engage multiple sources of influence—personal motivation and ability, social support and pressure, and structural incentives and cues—to make change inevitable.
What does accountability look like without damaging trust?
Hold people accountable by describing the gap between expectations and results with facts, not accusations. Make it safe, ask for their perspective, and jointly diagnose why the gap occurred. Then agree on clear commitments, supports, and follow‑up.
How can teams keep difficult dialogues productive over time?
Build norms around speaking up, regularly check for safety, and use shared tools—agree on facts first, STATE your path (Share facts, Tell your story, Ask for others’ paths, Talk tentatively, Encourage testing), and document decisions and accountability to ensure follow‑through.