What Is Intersubjective Reality?

What Is Intersubjective Reality?

A Sneak into Harari’s Book Nexus — and Why It Matters for Leadership

Earlier this week, flying from Bangkok to Atlanta, I picked up Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari from the international section. Over the next 13 hours, I was drawn into his exploration of information networks — especially the concept of intersubjective reality. Harari defines three types of reality:

 🔹 Objective – What’s measurable (KPIs, metrics)

 🔹 Subjective – How you personally feel or perceive something

 🔹 Intersubjective – What we collectively believe to be true

It’s this third type — intersubjective reality — that quietly shapes much of our world: money, nations, corporations, laws… and yes, leadership.

To maintain shared beliefs, Harari explains, humans developed systems — "desks with drawers" — to organize society. These “drawers” are categories: citizen, immigrant, employed, veteran, felon. Each carries rights, expectations, and meaning — not from nature, but from belief.

These aren’t just roles — they’re intersubjective agreements. People step into these roles, and others accept or reject them based on shared belief, not just competence.

🔑 Why does this matter for leaders?

1) Title ≠ Trust – Leadership is granted, not assigned.

2) Unspoken norms govern who gets followed or ignored.

3) Most leadership issues are cultural, not technical.

The takeaway: 

True leadership requires understanding — and actively shaping — the shared reality you're operating within.