Meet Daniel N. Jones, PhD

Behavioral science for leaders who take people risk seriously.

Daniel is an Associate Professor of Management and a globally recognized expert on difficult personalities, deception, and human risk. For more than 15 years, he has helped leaders understand why certain people repeatedly create disruption, and what can be done to reduce the damage they cause.

Daniel has published more than 100 scientific articles and book chapters on topics including overconfidence, manipulation, rule-bending behavior, and deception in organizations. His work is among the most cited in his field, placing him in the top 1% of scholars globally. He regularly speaks to professional and academic audiences around the world, translating complex research into practical guidance for people who need clarity in high-stakes environments.

How to Recognize a Master Manipulator

In this TEDxReno presentation, Daniel Jones draws on more than 15 years of behavioural-science research to help leaders spot and understand patterns of manipulative behavior that often hide behind charisma and competence.

Daniel’s consulting focuses on situations where talented but difficult people create uncertainty, conflict, or risk. Instead of pathologizing individuals, he teaches founders and leadership teams how to understand the behavior, anticipate reactions, and choose responses that protect performance, culture, and decision-making.

His approach is grounded in three principles:

  • Patterns over labels; behavior drives impact
  • Clarity over guesswork; founders need structure, not speculation
  • Team strategy over “fixing” the difficult person; responses matter more than diagnoses

Daniel also delivers keynote talks and small-group sessions on difficult personalities, human risk, and Conflict IQ (C-IQ), his framework for recognizing who you’re dealing with and responding effectively.

Daniel’s work brings calm, evidence-based clarity to some of the messiest people problems inside growing companies.

Dan's new book, Falling Fast: The Perils and Possibilities of Emophilia, is published by Oxford University Press and is also available on Amazon.

Explore a unique look at emophilia, the tendency to fall in love fast, easily, and often, and the profound impact it has on our lives and the lives of those around us.