Simple Isn't Easy
It’s tempting to believe that conflict in relationships is a complicated topic. Complicated is actually easy. A complicated problem...
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John W Bailie, PhD
- Dec 12, 2018
- 3 min
Santa Is a Bada$$
There’s a long Irish tradition of never letting the truth get in the way of a good story. In that spirit, here’s one of my favorite...
200 views2 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- Oct 23, 2018
- 8 min
Leadership Lessons From a Teenage Gang Member
When I saw the large knife clipped inside his waistband, my first feeling wasn’t fear. It was disappointment. I was walking up the...
209 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- Oct 16, 2018
- 4 min
When to Drop the Big One at Work
When in doubt about whether to share what’s on your mind or engage a tough situation, its usually best to lean towards taking the risk....
216 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- Sep 5, 2018
- 6 min
When the Sky Falls: Workplace Community and the Lessons of 9/11
On September 11, 2001, I was working as a counselor for adjudicated and at-risk youth at a private school in southeastern Pennsylvania;...
177 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- Aug 29, 2018
- 4 min
Boss-zilla: How to Not Suck as a Leader
I love monster movies. The bigger and meaner the monster, the better the movie. Alien. Predator. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. But when...
233 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- Aug 22, 2018
- 4 min
Horseshoes and Hand Grenades: When “Close Enough" Isn’t Good Enough
Sometimes doing something “close” to right isn’t good enough. As a father of four I find myself increasingly making use of dad-sayings...
267 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- Jul 25, 2018
- 3 min
Cheerfulness is a Choice… and a Weapon
Happiness is a feeling. Cheerfulness is a choice… and a weapon. By cheerfulness, I don’t mean schmaltzy niceties and fake smiles. Real...
498 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- Jul 11, 2018
- 5 min
The Phantom Pooper: A Story from the Frontline of Workplace Conflict
I share this story with great trepidation; not only because of its scatological nature, but because I fear it might leave my valued...
423 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- Jul 6, 2018
- 6 min
Competence Beats Confidence
Marvin was the best street fighter I’ve ever seen. The crazy thing is, you would never pick him out of a crowd as the top slugger. In...
251 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- Jun 20, 2018
- 2 min
Don’t Manage Conflict. Lead it.
Managing is about overseeing processes, plans, and systems. It’s about keeping things, often created by others, running. Leading is about...
251 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- May 22, 2018
- 4 min
Say More than “No”
What do you do when your organization asks you to do something unethical? A Leading Conflict subscriber recently posed this question to...
325 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- May 8, 2018
- 3 min
Practice Your Listening Stance
See the picture above? That’s not a listening stance. But it might be what you look like when people try to give you feedback. One the...
275 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- May 1, 2018
- 4 min
How to Take a Punch at Work (Part 2)
In How to Take a Punch at Work I talked about my love of boxing and one of my all-time favorite boxers, Micky Ward. As I said in the...
219 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- Apr 24, 2018
- 4 min
Empathy is Overrated
Empathy is overrated. I know this is heresy. Before you light your torch and grab your pitchfork, hear me out. We live in a world...
516 views1 comment
John W Bailie, PhD
- Apr 17, 2018
- 3 min
How to Take a Punch at Work
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ve likely realized that I’m a boxing fan. When you like a sport as much as I like...
154 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- Mar 14, 2018
- 2 min
Against Caution: Three Ways to Lead Conflict this Week
Most of what passes for conflict management/resolution wisdom and education is far too cautious, avoidant, and frankly fails to address...
162 views1 comment
John W Bailie, PhD
- Feb 26, 2018
- 7 min
Lead Conflict like the GOAT
To most boxing fans, Muhammad Ali is the undisputed G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time). For sure, he was a great boxer. But he won most of...
297 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- Feb 13, 2018
- 3 min
Why You Need More Fights at Work
Contrary to what you might think, you need more fights at work – not fewer. Conflict is good. Conflict exposes our needs, desires,...
573 views0 comments
John W Bailie, PhD
- Feb 6, 2018
- 4 min
Creative vs. Toxic Conflict at Work
In my previous article, Conflict: Love It and Lead It, I said: The highest performing groups learn that they need group members who are...
686 views5 comments
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