Connect, Engage, Resolve

The Third Option in Conflict

Move Beyond Fight or Flight

Many leaders respond to conflict in one of two ways:
• They avoid it.
• They confront it head-on.

Neither approach is sustainable. Avoidance delays resolution. Confrontation often escalates the issue. Both drain energy, erode trust, and rarely address the underlying problem.

A More Effective Approach

When you choose to connect and engage—rather than react—you gain access to a third option.
One that is neither passive nor aggressive. It is deliberate. Anchored. Clear.
You don’t need to win the argument. You don’t need to fix the other person.
You need to stay centered, and lead from shared values and defined expectations.

Structured. Respectful. Principled.

By setting clear boundaries and expectations, you place accountability where it belongs: with the individual.

People are respected for their capabilities and trusted to contribute.

They’re given autonomy in how they meet their commitments.

They retain the right to choose how they engage - and accept the responsibility for those choices.

When expectations are not met, the consequences are known and consistent.

Dependability is not enforced through control. It is upheld through clarity, commitment, and consequence.

This is not about rescuing or controlling. It is about leading with integrity, transparency, and trust.

The Shift That Follows

When you stop managing outcomes and start managing expectations, conversations change.
People take ownership. They step up because with autonomy comes responsibility and accountability.

Discipline, in this context, is not punishment. It is the natural result of a decision made and a standard unmet.
Responsibility stays where it belongs.

The Outcome

Conflict no longer dominates your time or energy.

Conversations replace confrontation.

Your team sees a leader who is composed, consistent, and credible.

Ready to move beyond fight-or-flight leadership? Let's begin a different conversation.

Find out if this is right for you.

Meet your facilitator

Ron Pizzo, LL.B

A certified coach and conflict resolution expert with over 30 years of experience helping professionals navigate workplace challenges.

Find out if this is right for you

Get started today