Brooke
Gazdag
Associate Professor of Management & Academic Director of Executive Education
Making work work for everyone.
About Me
Hi there. I'm Brooke — an organizational psychologist who has always been fascinated by how people think, act, and feel. I spent countless hours as a kid sitting on the kitchen counter after school, discussing other people's behavior and motivations with my mom, both of us playing psychologist.
Eventually I studied psychology, but what really drew me in was how we can apply it to work. So I got my PhD at the State University of New York at Buffalo in Organizational Behavior, where I got hooked on leadership, negotiations, and diversity. From there I took a postdoc at the Technical University of Munich, spent about six years as an assistant professor at LMU Munich, and joined the University of Amsterdam in 2020 — before landing at Kühne Logistics University as Associate Professor and Academic Director of Executive Education.
I've always believed that since we spend so much of our lives at work, it had better be a place we enjoy! So I dedicate my research, my teaching, and my training to understanding how we can work together better — and how to bring that knowledge to the people who need it.
Musings
Research
My academic work explores how leadership, negotiation, and inclusion work together to create positive working experiences. These three pillars are central to shaping our experience at work — and I deeply believe they are inextricably linked.
Publications
Keynotes
As a keynote speaker, I bring research-backed insights on leadership, negotiations, and inclusion to conferences, corporate events, and executive retreats.
AI's Threat to Uniqueness and Belonging at Work
DisruptHR Hamburg
A fast-paced 5-minute talk on how AI threatens what makes us feel unique and belonging at work — and what we can do about it.
The Next Language You Must Learn: The Language of Emotion
TEDxKLU Hamburg
On emotions, language, and how the words we choose shape the workplaces we build.
Diversity and Inclusion Kick-off
KLU — Kühne Logistics University
An introductory lecture for all new KLU students on why diversity and inclusion matter — and how to make them real.
Podcast Appearances
The Responsibility of Organisational Inclusion
OOPS! I'm Biased · 5 min
Who bears responsibility for inclusion in organizations — and how to navigate the paradoxes through ongoing dialogue.
Learn How to Be More Inclusive
In Port & Learning: KLU Stories · 43 min
Practical tools for creating inclusive environments — from group dynamics to valuing uniqueness in everyday interactions.
Keynote Topics
AI's Threat to Uniqueness and Belonging at Work
The 5C's of Lifelong Learning
Workplace Inclusion for the Digital Age
The Next Language You Must Learn: The Language of Emotion
Mentoring Crash Course: Be the Mentor You Wish You Had
Diversity and the Business Case in 10 Numbers
Brave Teams for a Brave New World with Psychological Safety
Future-Oriented Leadership
The Power of No
Workshops
Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel. — Socrates
Offerings
Negotiation Bootcamp
An intensive, hands-on workshop where participants practice real negotiation scenarios and build resilience for high-stakes conversations.
Inclusive Leadership Lab
A facilitated deep-dive into your leadership blind spots — with tools to create psychological safety and amplify underrepresented voices.
The Impostor Phenomenon Workshop
Understanding why capable people feel like frauds — and evidence-based strategies to break the cycle for yourself and your team.
AI & Belonging at Work
How artificial intelligence threatens what makes us feel unique at work — and practical strategies to protect belonging, identity, and human connection in the age of automation.
Mentoring Crash Course
Be the mentor you wish you had — a hands-on workshop on building meaningful mentoring relationships, giving effective feedback, and creating lasting impact.
Negotiation Strategy Toolkit
A consultative, psychologically informed approach to negotiation. Learn to guide conversations by identifying customer needs, building rapport, using targeted questions, and clearly articulating value.
Emotion Regulation & Resilience
Recognize and regulate emotional triggers during high-stakes conversations. Evidence-based techniques for managing rejection, staying centered under pressure, and sustaining trust in tense moments.
Conflict Management Through Communication
Navigate conflict constructively — overcome barriers to assertiveness and practice communication strategies that de-escalate tension while maintaining professionalism, in person and online.
The Psychology of Influence & Persuasion
Using social psychology to ethically shape perceptions and influence decision-making with integrity. Covers reciprocity, social proof, framing, and cognitive ease for persuasive, trust-building communication.
Trusted by
University Courses
Leadership & Organizational Behavior
MScHow leadership emerges, how teams function, and how organizations can be designed to support human flourishing.
Negotiation Skills
MSc / MBAPractical frameworks for negotiation — from trust-building and small talk to navigating gender dynamics at the table.
Conflict Management
MSc / MBATurning conflict from a threat into a lever — managing disagreement constructively and building stronger teams.
Cross-Cultural Communication
MScUnderstanding cultural dimensions in professional settings and building competence for global collaboration.
Personal Skills: Communication
BScBuilding foundational communication skills for professional settings — from presentations to interpersonal effectiveness.
Doing Business in Europe
MSc (HCM)Navigating the cultural and institutional landscape of European business — practical insights for international management.
Get in Touch
Imprint (Impressum)
Disclaimer
This is a personal academic website. The views and opinions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of Kühne Logistics University.
Copyright
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