Most organizations are terrified of conflict, seeing it as a sign of trouble. But clinical psychologist and transformative communication expert Dr. Nate Regier says conflict is really just a kind of energy that can be used for good or ill. With the concepts and tools he shares in this book, you can turn conflict into a partner for positive change.

Handled incorrectly, conflict becomes drama - people struggle against themselves or each other to feel justified about their negative behavior. It's immensely costly to companies, teams, and relationships at all levels. Regier illustrates the interpersonal dynamics that perpetuate drama through a concept called the Drama Triangle and offers an alternative: compassionate accountability.

Compassionate accountability is the engine that turns conflict into a creative force. It's a process of holding people accountable while preserving their dignity. It balances caring, concern, empathy, and transparency with boundaries, goals, aspirations, and standards. Regier shows how the destructive dynamics of the Drama Triangle can be transformed using its constructive counterpart: the Compassion Cycle. Provocative and illuminating, this book helps us replace the unrealistic, sometimes punishing, even crushing demands we exact on both our colleagues and our loved ones with openness, resourcefulness, and persistence.