Jay Van Bavel is an Associate Professor of Psychology & Neural Science at New York University, an affiliate at the Stern School of Business, and Director of the Social Identity & Morality Lab. He is the co-author of The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities for Personal and Collective Success. From neurons to social networks, Jay’s research examines how collective concerns—group identities, moral values, and political beliefs—shape the mind, brain, and behavior. His work addresses issues of group identity, social motivation, cooperation, implicit bias, moral judgment, decision-making, and social media. An award-winning researcher, Jay’s work has been featured in leading platforms including the New York Times, BBC, Scientific American, Wall Street Journal, US Supreme Court and Senate, TEDx, United Nations, European Union, and the World Health Organization.

In this episode of Intersections, Prof. Hitendra Wadhwa has a conversation with Jay Van Bavel on the topic “How Our Shared Identities Can Propel Us to Greatness – or Self-Destruction.”

What is the true nature of our identity, and how does it shape our thoughts, beliefs and actions? What do we gain from dissolving the boundaries created by our social identities? How can today’s managers, leaders, and changemakers use the language of identity to eliminate negative stereotypes, false beliefs and deep-seated racial biases in their teams, organizations and communities—and also create the potential for more cohesion, collaboration and peak performance?

“Groups’ stereotypes serve to obscure us from the complexity and fluidity, especially of other people's identities and even our own identities sometimes.”

Jay Van Bavel

The episode “How Our Shared Identities Can Propel Us to Greatness – or Self-Destruction” offers key insights on:

• The true nature of our identity, how it governs our thoughts, beliefs and actions, and what role our life’s experiences and external forces play in shaping it

• How to eliminate negative stereotypes, false beliefs and deep-seated racial biases, and create the potential for more cohesion, collaboration and peak performance

• A compelling story of how ‘identity’ divided an entire town based on the shoes the townsfolk wore [Hint: It involves two of the biggest sportswear brands]

• Why identity is a double-edged sword that serves to manifest not just our best, but also our worst

• And a powerful form of identity that can enable us to transcend its limitations, foster inclusivity, and help us express our best in service of humanity