Leslie John

About Leslie John

I am a Professor at the Harvard Business School. For two decades professionally (and a lifetime personally), I\'ve studied how we make decisions, and how we can make them BETTER. I\'m particularly fascinated by the decisions we make, every day, of how much of ourselves to share. How much to open up, and how much to keep to ourselves. My debut book is REVEALING: The Underrated Power of Oversharing. It only took me five years to write, 20 years to research, and a lifetime of experiences over- AND under-sharing (you\'re welcome). The gist? We all know the feeling—that cringe after we’ve said too much. So we hold back, hide our emotions, and keep our truest selves under wraps. But what if our fear of oversharing has been holding us back from the best parts of life? Packed with bold insights and unforgettable stories, Revealing shows how revealing wisely can deepen friendships, supercharge careers, and transform how we connect, love, and lead.Media inquiries: Shailyn Tavella, s•••••••@penguinrandomhouse.comSpeaking inquiries: Alysyn Reinhardt, a••••••••@penguinrandomhouse.comQuestions or comments to me: l••••@hbs.eduFOLLOW ME to learn the art and science of saying what matters!My work has been published in popular media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the Financial Times, as well as top academic journals like Psychological Science and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.In addition to my writing and scholarly work, I also give keynote talks and consult for a variety of companies and organizations. Past clients include: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Genzyme, Glaxo Smith Kline, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Mars, Pepsico, Weight Watchers.A Canadian-born, internationally trained ballet dancer, I received my Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University, before joining the faculty at HBS in 2011. I live in the Boston area with my husband and two young sons.

Experience

1. Professional Speaker

   Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau

   Sep 2025 — Present

   Speaker profile: speaking inquiries, please contact Alysyn Reinhardt: a••••••••@penguinrandomhouse.com

Education

• Carnegie Mellon University

  PhD, Behavioral Decision Theory (Psychology & Economics)

  2006 — 2011