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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 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 the person…
What If the Conflict You’re Avoiding Is Costing You Your Best Ideas?
April is Workplace Conflict Awareness Month. This is your invitation to ask: What is my conflict avoidance actually costing me? You’re in a leadership meeting, someone has an idea that challenges the status quo, it’s bold, and maybe even a little outlandish. Your first instinct is to shut it down quickly, and avoid the conflict…
The Leadership Behaviors That Make Your Team Feel Safe Enough to Tell You the Truth
Your team just left the leadership meeting, and you asked if anyone had concerns about the new strategy. Silence. You asked if anyone saw potential problems with the timeline. More silence. You said, “I really want your honest feedback.” Still nothing. Later that afternoon, you overhear two team members in the hallway discussing exactly the…
The Cost of Staying Silent: What Happens When Abrasive Behavior Goes Unchecked
There’s a moment most leaders know well. You’ve just heard again… that a high-performing employee crossed a line. Maybe they humiliated someone in a meeting. Maybe they snapped at a colleague in front of the team. Maybe the complaints landing on your desk have quietly multiplied over the past several months. And you’ve done what…
The Hidden Cost of Waiting “Just One More Quarter” to Address Your Highly Abrasive Leader
The email comes in at 4:47 PM on a Friday. Another resignation, your third this quarter from the same team, and another talented employee who’s “pursuing other opportunities.” You know exactly why they’re leaving. Everyone knows. It’s the same reason as the last two. But in Monday’s leadership meeting, you’ll all nod sympathetically and talk…
What Your Hot-Headed Leader Wants You to Understand (But Won’t Tell You)
You’ve tried everything. The “let’s talk about your communication style” conversation. The feedback about “managing emotions in the workplace.” The HR mediation. The leadership coaching. But your high-performing, hot-headed leader keeps exploding. The damage spreads, and good employees start looking for the exits. You’re left wondering: Is this person even capable of change? Let me…
Why Interpersonal Success Requires Practice, Not Perfection
What most leaders get wrong about interpersonal skill, is that they think it’s something you either have or you don’t. You’re either “a people person” or you’re not. You’re either good at difficult conversations or you avoid them. You’re either naturally empathetic or you’re more task-focused. Interpersonal success isn’t a personality trait, it’s a practice.…
The Split-Second Realization That Changed How This Leader Handled Conflict
Your boss is ranting about missed deadlines. Your jaw clenches, your palms sweat and there’s a knot in your stomach you remember from childhood. In a flash, you’re 12 years old again, standing in your kitchen while your mom explodes over something you forgot to do. That familiar wave of panic washes over you, the…
Why “You Hurt My Feelings” Doesn’t Work at Work (And What Your Family Taught You About Conflict)
It’s happened again. An abrasive leader has exploded at one of your team members and now the team member is embarrassed, disengaged, and afraid to contribute when the leader is around. You know you need to address it, but when you imagine the conversation, you hear yourself saying things like… “You hurt the team’s feelings…
The Surprising Connection Between Family Dynamics and Leadership Conflict
You’re in another executive team meeting. The CFO is silent, again, even though everyone knows he disagrees with the proposed strategy. The COO is getting increasingly aggressive in her pushback. And you’re managing the tension in the room the same way you always do…crack a joke to ease the tension. Most leaders don’t realize →…