Manipulation doesn’t always look dramatic or explosive. It could be a loaded comment in a meeting, a subtle guilt trip in an email, or a casual remark that leaves you questioning yourself long after the conversation ends.

What makes manipulators effective is their ability to influence how you feel. Research on social influence and coercive control shows that manipulators aim for emotional impact: the drop in your confidence, the spike in your anxiety, the moment you start defending instead of deciding.

In my decade advising Fortune 500 companies as a behavioral researcher, I’ve seen this pattern at every level: the person who controls the emotional tone often controls the direction of the interaction.

The most powerful response to a manipulator isn’t to confront them. This often backfires, triggering gaslighting, denial, or escalation. Here’s a simple strategy I teach to help you “CUT” through manipulation.

When your nervous system spikes, your thinking narrows and your behavior becomes easier to steer. Studies on emotional regulation show that staying physiologically calm preserves decision quality under pressure. Slow your breath. Lower your voice. Buy yourself a few seconds before responding.

Instead of reacting with:

• Snapping or raising your voice: “Why are you saying that? That’s not true!”
• Over-explaining or defending yourself: “Actually, I did do [X], and here’s why…”
• Appeasing or over-committing when it’s unreasonable: “Okay, I’ll handle it.”
• Getting defensive or anxious: internal panic, self-doubt, or visible agitation.

Try responding with:

• Neutral acknowledgment: “Noted.”
• Redirect to facts or agenda: “Let’s focus on the next step.”
• Brief, calm clarification if necessary: “I understood it differently; here’s what I did.”
• Pause and buy time: a slow breath, or a moment to compose your response before engaging.

By staying neutral in your responses, you remove the emotional fuel that manipulators rely on and shift the interaction back into your control.

Even when your heart is racing, how you show up matters. A relaxed posture, relaxed facial expression, and steady verbal pace signal that there’s nothing to hook into.

Research on status dynamics and dominance signaling shows that the least reactive person is often seen as the most powerful. Staying unfazed tells the manipulator: Your tactics aren’t working on me.

This is where most people slip. They explain, defend, justify, and try to be understood. But feeding the emotional layer is exactly what keeps manipulation alive. Instead, refocus on facts, boundaries, or the task at hand. Pay attention only to what you can control.

Together, these three moves cut off the oxygen from the interaction. You’re no longer a lever that can be pulled. Over time, that shifts the power in your favor.

The most powerful response is far more destabilizing to the manipulator’s strategy: emotional non-cooperation. Calmly, neutrally, and consistently refusing to feed the emotional leverage, you take away the fuel that sustains their behavior. When emotional leverage disappears, the manipulation often stops.

Shadé Zahrai is an award-winning peak performance educator, behavioral researcher, leadership strategist, and author of “Big Trust: Rewire Self-Doubt, Find Your Confidence, and Fuel Success.” Recognized as one of LinkedIn’s Top 50 Most Impactful People, she supports leaders at some of the world’s biggest brands, including Microsoft, Deloitte, Procter & Gamble, and JPMorgan.

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Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos doesn’t have management books stashed in his work bag, on his desk or piled on his nightstand.

Sarandos doesn’t really read management books at all, he said in an interview for an episode of CNBC’s “Leaders Playbook,” a series set to premiere on Wednesday. Instead, he reads fiction novels to learn about leadership, he said. His favorite management book: “Typhoon,” a 1902 novella by Joseph Conrad about a steamship captain and crew navigating a severe storm while at sea.

“It doesn’t sound like a management story on the surface, but I think it’s the most powerful leadership story I’ve ever read,” said Sarandos, 61. “I read it over and over again because I find … I get something different in the book every time I read it.”

When Sarandos first read the book roughly 20 years ago, he thought the captain was a reckless “hot dog” who put himself and his family in jeopardy, he said. On more recent reads, he’s come away with a more salient lesson about leading in the face of conflict and uncertainty.

“Now, what I see is that when you go through life and you go through business, you make a lot of decisions that don’t turn out the way you thought they would,” said Sarandos. “The real leadership test is: How do you manage through that?”

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Sarandos joined Netflix as its head of content operations in 2000, and further learned how to embrace uncertainty while working for Netflix co-founder and former CEO Reed Hastings, he said. “I think the lesson that he’s left for me is that you pick the best people, give them the tools to do the best work of their life, and get out of their way,” said Sarandos.

He recalled a specific instance in which he acted with a lot of autonomy, taking “a big financial swing” with no guaranteed payoff. About a decade into his tenure at the streaming company, Sarandos spent $100 million of Netflix’s money to create the company’s first original television series, “House of Cards” and greenlight it for two seasons — without asking Hastings for permission, he said.

“When he asked me, ‘Why would you do that?’ I said, ‘Reed, it’s a simple risk-reward for me. If this show fails, we will have dramatically overpaid for a show. We do that all the time, but if it succeeds, we could completely transform the business as we know it,’” said Sarandos.

Sarandos isn’t the only prominent businessperson who draws inspiration from fictional stories.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ leadership style has been partially shaped by Kazuo Ishiguro’s “The Remains of the Day,” according to author Brad Stone’s biography “The Everything Store.” Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates frequently touts the value of reading fiction, noting in a Nov. 25 blog post that some novels can ”[pull] back the curtain on how something important really works.”

Anyone can glean real-life takeaways from novels if they practice summarizing the plot, analyzing the motivations of the characters and spend time drawing parallels between the conflict in the book and issues they may face at work, Northwestern University leadership professor Brooke Vuckovic told CNBC Make It in January 2023.

“Our best leaders are looking for ways to develop themselves, and fiction represents an often underused and incredibly powerful, low cost, ongoing, pleasurable way to develop ourselves — if read correctly,” said Vuckovic.

Watch Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos on CNBC’s “Leaders Playbook” premiering Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. All new episodes Wednesdays.

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Home prices are expected to rise by about 2.2% nationally in 2026, but some large U.S. cities — mostly in the Midwest and Northeast — could see prices climb much faster.

That’s according to a recent Realtor.com forecast, which projects “a more balanced” housing market as higher inventory slows overall price growth. Even so, the moderation isn’t expected to be evenly felt.

“The Midwest and Northeast have maintained strong demand despite the broader slowdown, largely due to persistent inventory scarcity,” Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com, tells CNBC Make It.

While many markets in the South and West are seeing price growth flatten or turn negative as new construction adds supply, cities in the Midwest and Northeast have added fewer homes in recent years, which has helped kept prices moving higher, according to Realtor.com.

Here are the 11 large U.S. cities expected to see the biggest home-price increases in 2026:

1. Toledo, Ohio

• Expected 2026 price growth: 13.1%
• Median home price: $199,900

2. Syracuse, New York

• Expected 2026 price growth: 12.4%
• Median home price: $298,950

3. Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, Pennsylvania

• Expected 2026 price growth: 10.9%
• Median home price: $260,000

4. Rochester, New York

• Expected 2026 price growth: 10.3%
• Median home price: $256,900

5. Hartford–West Hartford–East Hartford, Connecticut

• Expected 2026 price growth: 9.5%
• Median home price: $429,000

6. Baltimore–Columbia–Towson, Maryland

• Expected 2026 price growth: 8.3%
• Median home price: $375,000

7. New Haven–Milford, Connecticut

• Expected 2026 price growth: 7.7%
• Median home price: $439,000

8. Winston-Salem, North Carolina

• Expected 2026 price growth: 7.7%
• Median home price: $342,899

9. Albany–Schenectady–Troy, New York

• Expected 2026 price growth: 7.5%
• Median home price: $419,900

10. Columbia, South Carolina

• Expected 2026 price growth: 7.2%
• Median home price: $303,300

11. Milwaukee–Waukesha–West Allis, Wisconsin

• Expected 2026 price growth: 7%
• Median home price: $379,000

Realtor.com’s metro-level forecasts are based on its own listings data, along with local inventory levels, new construction activity, employment and income trends, and mortgage rate expectations.

What those projections show is that in markets where very little housing has been added, even modest demand is enough to keep prices rising — especially in smaller Midwest and Northeast cities. By contrast, in markets where construction has been heavier, home prices in some areas are expected to fall by as much as 10% in 2026.

The metros with the highest expected gains “have seen very limited new housing development, keeping supply tight,” says Jones. At the same time, most of these cities have home prices “well below national averages,” she says.

Overall, only three of the 11 cities on the list have median listing prices above the U.S. median of about $415,000 as of late 2025.

Toledo stands out in particular for its relative affordability. The city’s median home price of about $199,900 is well below Ohio’s statewide median of roughly $275,000, per Realtor’s data.

Another factor is proximity to larger urban hubs.

“In the Northeast, demand has remained elevated as buyers seek more affordable, commutable alternatives to large, high-cost metros, such as New York and Boston,” says Jones. “Because new construction has lagged in many of these older, built-out Northeastern markets, supply constraints remain acute, amplifying the price impact of even modest demand growth.”

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As a personal finance consultant, I also teach money management workshops for teenagers and college students, as well as for young or soon-to-be parents.

Many of them worry about how to raise kids who won’t take their family’s hard-earned money for granted. They want to instill values of generosity, hard work, thoughtfulness and compassion.

When clients ask me about this, my initial answer is that if you’re asking the question, that’s a good start. But there’s much more to say about raising children who are grounded with money.

We all know people who have a lot of money and live a very rich life in material goods: big houses, fancy things. Parents who grew up with less often want to make sure their children have the best of everything, but that can backfire.

Just because you can afford for the family to travel first class or book the most expensive accommodations doesn’t mean it’s always the best decision. If you want to raise grounded children, display grounded values. It doesn’t make sense to spend money on things that aren’t important to you just because you have it available. And your kids will notice if you do.

At the same time, you don’t need to live a live with unnecessary deprivation just because you’re trying to convey a message. The key is to strive for that middle path and always return to your values.

Having money shouldn’t absolve your kids of their obligations to their community. You might help them get summer jobs or direct them to shovel the neighbor’s driveway after a snowfall, to show them all the ways we need and help each other in a community.

I know for sure that your kids will remember what you do much more than what you say. If community involvement matters to your family, are you showing what that looks like? If you support environmental causes, are your choices aligned with the causes you support?

Another important lesson to teach your kids is how to keep from accidentally showing off. Kids understand gradations of class and wealth better than anyone else.

Make sure to positively reinforce any sensitivity they show in social settings. Being respectful of your audience is a life skill just like any other. Teach them about status symbols: visible brand names, expensive fads, and even over-the-top generosity that may not have intrinsic value.

Help them think through what pursuing those symbols will mean for their relationships. If they want the latest status coat, ask them: “If we get you that coat, how will other people react? How will they feel?” Help them see when indulgence or ostentation may make someone else feel less than, which can strain relationships.

Kids are obsessed with the “why” in everything, including money matters. Once your children notice that different people or families have more or less money, they’ll start to ask you about it. Your job is to examine and deconstruct any assumptions they’re making about why someone might have less money than you do, especially having to do with laziness or morality.

Guide them through other possible explanations for why someone else might have less. Maybe your family has inherited wealth and this person doesn’t; maybe this person prioritized a career they love but is less lucrative; maybe this person got different money messages growing up.

Point out that your kids are probably not going to be the richest or poorest in the room wherever they go — would they want someone wealthier to judge them for having less?

Most important of all, emphasize that greater wealth is never a measure of character or values.

Sheila Schroeder is the author of ”It’s Time to Talk: A Woman’s Guide to Navigating Money Conversations″ and a business development consultant at Wealthspire Advisors. She brings more than 25 years of financial services experience and regularly leads personal finance workshops.

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Many people think that getting someone to say “yes” is about persuasion, making the perfect argument, choosing the right words, or asking nicely.

But decades of research suggest something counterintuitive: One of the most reliable ways to get to a “yes,” is to give the other person permission to say “no.”

Studies have shown that across all kinds of situations, from marketing to negotiations to everyday requests, simply adding a line like, “but you are free to accept or refuse,” makes people far more likely to comply.

It taps into one of our deepest psychological needs: autonomy. When people feel pressured, they resist. But when they feel they have a choice, they tend to engage more willingly and push back less.

I’ve spent the past decade advising Fortune 500 companies as an educator and behavioral researcher, and I’ve seen this principle outperform the hard-sell. Here are four simple phrases you can use to put this principle into practice.

When you explicitly tell someone they don’t have to agree, it immediately lowers defensiveness. Their nervous system relaxes, and the decision shifts from compliance under pressure to a choice made voluntarily.

When to use it at work:

• Asking for time from a busy senior leader
• Requesting help from a colleague
• Asking for participation

When to use it at home:

• Asking for emotional availability
• Raising a sensitive topic
• Making plans when the other person is stretched

Examples:

• “Would you be open to reviewing this for me today? You’re free to say no.”
• “You’re totally free to say no — would you be open to talking later tonight?”

This phrase reduces social pressure, which is a hidden driver of resentment and avoidance. Research shows that people push back when they feel expected or pressured to do something. Even cooperative people can resist when a request feels like an obligation.

When to use it at work:

• Asking for favors across teams
• Asking someone to do more than what’s in their job description 
• Following up on something that isn’t mandatory

When to use it at home:

• Asking for support
• Making requests that could inconvenience the other person
• Discussing emotional needs

Examples:

• “I’d really appreciate it if you could help with the report I need to prepare by tomorrow, but please don’t feel obliged.”
• “I could use your support this weekend, but please don’t feel obliged.”

This phrase is particularly effective in moments when you are on a clock, or a performance evaluation is a factor. 

When people feel they are being rushed into agreement, they make worse decisions, then regret them more afterwards. Removing that pressure improves satisfaction with the outcome.

When to use it at work:

• Setting deadlines that are flexible
• Making decisions that require some reflection
• Having sensitive career conversations

When to use it at home:

• Having relationship discussions
• Making parenting decisions
• Making big financial or life choices

Examples:

• “No pressure at all. Take your time thinking about it, and we can talk whenever you’re ready.”
• “If you’re open to it, I’d love your input this week, but no pressure.”

This phrase protects both the mental and emotional bandwidth of the recipient. Feeling obligated to respond, even to small messages, creates low-level stress. Removing that expectation reduces avoidance and increases genuine engagement.

When to use it at work:

• Sharing optional resources
• Sending reflections instead of action items
• Providing information without requiring feedback

When to use it at home:

• Checking in on someone going through a hard time 
• Sharing thoughts without requiring immediate dialogue
• Giving someone space

For example:

• “I wanted to share this just in case it’s useful. No need to reply!”
• “No need to reply. I was just thinking of you.”

These phrases all offer a sense of autonomy the exact moment it is most likely to feel threatened. In return, the people you engage with will follow through more reliably, feel more respected, and respond with more honesty.

Shadé Zahrai is an award-winning peak performance educator, behavioral researcher, and leadership strategist to Fortune 500 companies. She is the author of “Big Trust: Rewire Self-Doubt, Find Your Confidence, and Fuel Success.” She earned her doctorate from Monash University. Follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

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