What first words come to mind when you read the word - conflict?
Very few people I know feel confident in conflict situations.

But Jesus never shied away from conflict.
His life was filled with it!
Here are seven examples from Mark’s gospel alone:

• Mark 1:12-13 - conflict with Satan during his 40 days in the wilderness before he began his public ministry.
   
• Mark 3:1-6 - conflict with the religious leaders because he healed a man with a shrivelled hand on the Sabbath.
   
• Mark 3:20 - conflict with his own family, who didn’t understand his mission.
   
• Mark 8:31-33 - conflict with Peter, one of his disciples, who dared to rebuke Jesus for speaking about his crucifixion.
   
• Mark 10:35-45 - conflict with all his disciples because they argued over who should be seen as the most important.
   
• Mark 11:12-19 - conflict with the money changers in the temple, who made it as hard as possible for people to receive God’s forgiveness.
   
• Mark 15 - conflict with Pilate, who knew that Jesus was innocent of any charge and yet sentenced him to be crucified.

It’s worth noting that if Jesus had avoided these conflicts, his mission and purpose would have failed.

People wouldn’t have been healed, rescued or saved.
If Jesus had been conflict-averse, he would have stayed well away from the cross.

Jesus understood and modelled that dealing with conflict well is both inevitable and vital to leadership.

Author Dan Allender writes in his book “Leading with a Limp”:
 

“We fail to live well as leaders if we are afraid of conflict or if we need the applause of the throngs. A king must be intimately connected to his people but also able to suffer loneliness when his decisions are not popular. He must be bold enough to make difficult decisions without being dogmatic and without adopting an arrogance that would hide his fear that his decision just might be wrong.”
 

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
 

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t challenge people. In fact, because we love people, because we want to see them thrive in life, faith and leadership, we’re willing to have difficult conversations when needed.

We do this for their good, for the good of the team, and for the sake of the mission and purpose the team is working towards.

The training and conversation around 'Handling tricky conversations' is one of the most valued sessions in the Reboot Your Leadership experience. It doesn't just make us better leaders; it helps us navigate conflict more effectively in every area of life.

Here's what recent participant, Benedict, had to say...

"I’m clearer in naming and framing the feedback that I need to give. As a result, I’ve been able to handle some sensitive chats with team members and peers with much greater clarity."

"Reboot helped equip me in ways that I didn’t fully know I needed. I knew I struggled with conflict but it also helped me reshape how I approach different situations. Even something as simple as negotiating with my spouse or children, Reboot has helped me step back and allow space for grace where before I’d have been much more reactive."