University at Buffalo University at Buffalo School of Management A leader who displays humble behaviors can boost team performance by reducing negative relationships in the group, according to new research from the University at Buffalo School of Management. Recently published in Human Relations, the study found that while negative relationships in groups are rarer than positive ones, the negative is far more influential on team effectiveness and performance. “A dilemma for leaders with limited time and bandwidth is where to focus: building positive relationships or resolving negative ones,” says Paul Tesluk, professor and dean of the UB School of Management. “Human beings are attuned to and more influenced by the negative.”