Embracing Conflict For Greater Connection, Collaboration, and Belonging

On Day 1, participants explored the true nature of conflict, redefining it as a force for connection and progress. Together, they examined its historical role, identified personal and global conflicts, and learned how to overcome common barriers and mindsets. Through reflection and discussion, they gained skills to transform conflict into growth, belonging, and deeper human connection.

WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS | Summit Team

INTERACTIVE ICEBREAKER: HOW DO YOU SEE CONFLICT? | Summit Team

CROSSING THE DIVIDE: LESSONS FROM THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY | Francis S. Barry, Author of Back Roads and Better Angels

Francis Barry is a writer, public policy expert, and former government official. During the pandemic, he journeyed across America along the historic Lincoln Highway, seeking to understand what unites—and divides—us. He used his journey to reflect on how Americans can navigate polarization through conscious leadership rooted in action, empathy, and connection. He emphasizes that real impact comes from lived choices, not public statements; that relationships must be valued above politics; and that leaders should embrace nuance over absolutes. His stories highlight the balance between institutional responsibility and community care, the importance of anchoring conflict in shared values while acknowledging historical wounds, and the democratic necessity of being a gracious loser. Ultimately, Barry shows that leadership is relational and requires courage, humility, and a commitment to human dignity—engaging conflict not by avoiding it, but by transforming it into opportunities for connection and problem-solving.

AWARENESS INTELLIGENCE: THINKING BIGGER FOR COLLECTIVE SUCCESS | Erica Schwartz-Hall, UpSpiral Leadership

The UpSpiral Leadership framework teaches that conflict, rather than being an obstacle, can serve as a powerful catalyst for growth when approached with awareness, action, and intention. Leaders are encouraged to see conflict as an opportunity to build resilience, creativity, and deeper connection by practicing mindset shifts consistently, much like developing muscle memory. By noticing triggers, choosing values-aligned actions, and anchoring in broader purpose, leaders can transform tension into trust and collaboration. The model also emphasizes the collective dimension: when teams lean into discomfort together with openness and vulnerability, they strengthen culture and belonging. Ultimately, UpSpiral leadership reframes conflict as a path to both personal development and communal transformation, guiding leaders to cultivate trust, resilience, and shared purpose.

Day 2 centered on a group simulation designed to build empathy and compassion during team conflict. Participants engaged in hands-on activities to develop skills for leading through conflict, addressing personal biases, and embracing diversity. They learned a framework for turning tension into trust, practice courageous conversations, and gain strategies to promote belonging and collaboration.

SIMULATION PART 1: IDENTIFYING REAL CONFLICTS | Steve Gardiner

Steve Gardiner anchored Day 2 in the practical discipline of win-win negotiation. Using a simple story of two people arguing in a library, he illustrated how conflict escalates when we attack the person rather than the problem. Gardiner outlined core principles of win-win conflict resolution: focus on the issue, not personalities; move beyond positions to understand underlying interests; seek mutual interests; and create solutions that benefit all parties. He highlighted the global impact of these principles, citing examples from Jimmy Carter at Camp David, Nelson Mandela in South Africa, and the Northern Ireland peace process. Participants then practiced applying these principles in breakout groups, exploring real-life conflicts, identifying shared and unique interests, and brainstorming collaborative solutions. Gardiner concluded with practical guidance: start small, practice on everyday conflicts, listen deeply, and test assumptions to develop effective win-win leadership skills.

HEALING THROUGH TENSION: THE CHARLESTON STORY | Margaret Seidler, Chief Gregory Mullen, and Poppa Smurf

SIMULATION PART 2: MAPPING THE TENSION | Joel Wright

CLOSING & HEALING CEREMONY | Samuel Sommer

Samuel Sommer guided participants to view healing not as an instant fix but as a gradual process rooted in listening, support, reframing perspectives, and taking ownership, with forgiveness at its pinnacle. He emphasized that forgiveness interrupts cycles of revenge by letting go of owed debts, requiring truth-telling and empathy—understanding another’s motivations without excusing harm. Drawing on personal experience in Ethiopia, Sommer illustrated how forgiving even severe wrongdoing can restore trust, love, and freedom. Participants engaged in a symbolic exercise of releasing forgiveness into water, reinforcing that healing and forgiveness not only mend individuals but also foster cultures of grace and empathy. Forgiveness is a courageous practice that models love over anger, builds trust, and creates conditions for reconciliation and collective flourishing.

On Day 3, participants learned a practical framework for handling real-life conflicts through live demos, peer coaching, and group reflection. The focus shifted from learning to action by fostering community connections, practicing deep listening, and co-creating Leadership Labs to drive lasting culture change and collective impact.

HEALING CEREMONY and FROM CONFLICT TO COLLABORATION | Samuel Sommer

Samuel Sommer guided participants through a ritual of letting go — dissolving written grievances in water or finding symbolic gestures at home — to release resentment and embrace freedom. He emphasized that forgiveness is not about excusing harm but reclaiming peace, restoring relationships, and creating space for new beginnings. Connecting forgiveness to vertical development, Samuel showed how healing unresolved hurts fosters higher leadership maturity, resilience, empathy, and systemic perspective. Participants reflected on the lightness and clarity this ritual brought, recognizing its power to interrupt cycles of anger and cultivate compassionate leadership. Ultimately, forgiveness was framed as both a personal and leadership act, enabling leaders to transform conflict into growth and lead with courage, clarity, and love.

COLLABORATING WITH OTHERS FOR COLLECTIVE IMPACT

The LFC provides space for leaders to engage in meaningful work, sometimes producing tangible outputs like the 2020 white paper on leading through COVID or the New York mini-summit on unlearning racism, and other times building trust, relationships, and momentum for change. Past labs demonstrated how curiosity, commitment, and connection can spark enduring impact, from global leadership interviews to communities focused on racial equity and belonging. Participants recognized that leadership is a shared experiment, and each has agency to continue conversations and initiatives beyond the summit. Labs function as living experiments that generate knowledge, cultivate relationships, and produce both visible and intangible outcomes, embodying conscious leadership by fostering inclusivity, collaboration, and co-creation.

FISHBOWL LISTENING | Matt Hay

The summit concluded with a powerful blend of reflection and forward momentum, centering on conscious leadership in the face of conflict. In a final fishbowl conversation facilitated by Matt, participants explored themes of choice, collaboration, growth, and relational attention, sharing personal insights and collective aspirations. Key takeaways highlighted that reflection deepens practice, conflict can be generative, and community sustains courage. The closing session reinforced that conscious leadership requires presence, courage, and collaboration, emphasizing that leadership is an ongoing, shared practice rather than a solitary endeavor. Participants left inspired to carry the summit’s lessons into everyday leadership, fostering trust, connection, and the courage to embrace conflict as an opportunity for transformation.