What if conflict isn’t a sign that something has gone wrong?
Most of us would rather avoid difficult conversations if we can. We hold things back, try to keep the peace or, at the other extreme, become defensive and determined to prove our point.
But healthy conflict is an essential part of leadership, relationships and innovation.
My guest on this episode of Leading You is award-winning author and founder Tim Duggan, whose latest book, Clear Intention: How to Get Better at Conflict, explores how we can become more skilful at navigating something every one of us experiences.
Tim shares his CLEAR framework: Clarify, Listen, Explore, Align and Reset, and we explore why preparing for difficult conversations, understanding our own responses and learning to listen generously can completely change the way we handle conflict.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why so many of us instinctively avoid conflict
- Tim’s CLEAR framework for navigating difficult conversations
- How preparing for conflict can change the way we respond
- What emotional hijacking looks like and why awareness matters
- The relationship between trust, healthy tension and innovation
- Why generous listening is such a powerful leadership skill
- Why not every conflict needs to be resolved
Strong teams aren’t necessarily conflict-free. When trust exists, people can challenge ideas, disagree and have robust conversations without making it personal.
The question isn’t whether conflict exists. It’s how we handle it when it does.
Timestamps
00:00 Why Conflict Matters
00:42 Meet Tim Duggan
02:16 Why He Wrote Clear Intention
04:38 From Avoider to Seeker
05:58 The CLEAR Framework
08:02 Clarify and Prepare
09:55 Event Invitation Break
10:51 Emotional Hijacking Explained
14:35 Healthy Conflict and Trust
18:52 Listen Generously
21:36 Surrender to Listen
24:51 Reset the Story Endings
26:57 First Step for Avoiders
29:13 Wrap Up and Review
Links:
Learn more about my group coaching program here
Join the Lead.Her Collective Dinner on 28th October. Reserve your seat here
Get the Clarity Compass here
Connect with Julie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/
Instagram:@juliehydeleads
Website: https://juliehyde.com.au
Connect with Tim:
Website: https://timduggan.com.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timduggan1/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim_duggan/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
