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When Your Team Starts Working Around an Abrasive Employee, Pay Attention
“I wouldn’t go in there right now.” “Why?” “He’s in one of those moods.” “Got it. I’ll come back later.” It may sound like an ordinary exchange between coworkers. But as a leader, it’s worth paying attention to what it tells you. Your employees have learned to work around someone’s behavior. They know when it’s…
High Performance Doesn’t Excuse Harmful Behavior: How Leaders Can Address Abrasive Employees
“They’re one of our best performers.” I’ve heard versions of this statement many times from leaders struggling with an abrasive employee. The person gets results. They have expertise the organization depends on. Clients value them. They generate revenue. And yet, coworkers often dread interacting with them. Their words are often condescending. Their feedback belittling and…
When Problematic Employee Behavior Goes Unaddressed, Your Team Pays the Price
An employee comes into your office frustrated about a coworker. You’ve heard the complaint before. The interruptions, abrasive comments, blame, and the dismissive tone. You’ve hoped the two employees would work it out. Maybe you’ve offered suggestions, encouraged them to communicate, or tried to smooth things over. Yet here you are again. At this point,…
Can You Disagree Without Disconnecting? How Strong Leaders Navigate Differences at Work
Someone challenges your idea in a meeting. A direct report pushes back on your feedback. A colleague strongly disagrees with the direction you want to take. What happens next? For some leaders, disagreement creates an immediate urge to convince the other person they’re wrong. Others become defensive. Some retreat, smooth things over, or abandon their…
Why Some Workplace Conflicts Feel More Personal Than Others
Have you ever had a coworker or leader who could get under your skin faster than anyone else? Maybe it’s the way they dismiss your ideas. Their need to control every detail. Their defensiveness when you offer feedback. Or the way they become abrasive during a difficult conversation. You walk away frustrated, replaying the interaction…
The Hidden Skill That Transforms Problem-Solving: Curiosity
When faced with a problem or personnel issue, leaders have two options: Option 1: Resolve it and figure out why it’s happening in the first place. Option 2: Ignore it, hoping it will go away on its own. Most leaders choose Option 2. In the moment, it seems easier. You don’t have to have the…
How to Turn Workplace Tension Into Team Breakthroughs
Workplace tension is inevitable. Different perspectives, priorities, and ways of approaching problems. When you bring people together with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints, tension naturally arises. What most leaders do when conflict shows up is they avoid it. It’s uncomfortable, awkward, and there’s often an assumption that addressing it poorly will lead to blame, alienation, or…
How to Stay Level-Headed When Demands Exceed Your Inner Resources
How do you stay level-headed when leadership often comes with high-pressure situations, difficult conversations, tough decisions, and unexpected challenges? Some leaders seem to navigate these moments with ease, staying calm even when tensions are high, but the reality is that level-headed leadership isn’t a natural trait, it’s a learned skill. The ability to remain composed…
How One Woman’s Internal Peace Saved Her Life and Hundreds of Others
August 20, 2013. Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy Elementary School. Antoinette Tuff was starting another typical workday when a gunman entered the building and said: “We are all going to die today.” In that moment, Antoinette had a choice: React with panic or stay grounded in peace. She chose peace, and because of that…
What If the Conflict at Work Is Actually Teaching You Something You Need to Know?
April is Workplace Conflict Awareness Month. This is your invitation to ask: What is this conflict at work trying to teach me? There’s someone at work who makes your days unbearable. Maybe it’s the colleague who flies off the handle, or the one who withdraws into silence when you need to address a problem, or…