Okay, so that’s not actually the story here…but it should be.  A few weeks ago, one of the most prolific and successful real estate developers in the world, Robert Tishman, passed away.  His hundreds of  projects, as owner of Tishman Properties and then later Tishman Speyer, included the World Trade Center, the John Hancock Tower in Chicago, Century City Complex in Los Angeles, and the MesseTurm in Frankfurt (one of the tallest buildings in Europe).  The portfolio for Tishman Speyer is currently valued at $50 million.  A wildly successful man, the last line in his obituary caught my brother-in-law’s eye who sent this along to me (thanks Elliot!)  According to Mr. Speyer, Tishman’s son-in-law, Mr. Tishman had a maxim for successful contract negotiations, “Always leave something on the table for the other guy.”   The concept of working with the other side versus against them is not the one portrayed on television by Donald Trump but does actually seem to be the one that works in New York City.  In a chapter for the Negotiator’s Fieldbook written several years ago, Daniel Rose, also a very successful real estate developer in New York City, wrote about the ethics of doing business and the importance of keeping your word. (See Chapter 79 in the Fieldbook, entitled Ulysses and Business Negotiation.)  So…I am now officially waiting for Donald Trump to get on board and endorse a more integrative approach to negotiation!