Conflict Managed

Ep 184, Accountability is a Gift, Not a Punishment

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Rob Marcus. Together we explore:
Leadership as everyday influence, not a title• The difference between managing people and leading them• Why the Golden Rule remains a practical guide for modern workplaces• Why leaders need consistent, real-world training• The real cost of overlooking people and their experiences
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration
Rob Marcus is the founder of Blue Stallion Solutions, a leadership training company helping mid-sized organizations shift from firefighting to forward motion. A former Army intelligence officer with a background in government contracting and corporate development, Rob led high-stakes teams and multimillion-dollar projects—until personal tragedy and toxic leadership made him rethink everything.
Now, he works directly with executive teams to align strategy, strengthen accountability, and equip managers to truly lead. His book, Crossing the Divide, offers a practical roadmap for scaling without losing culture. As a podcast guest, Rob brings both real-world stories and actionable insights on what breaks teams—and how to rebuild them.
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.
 
#Accountability #LeadershipDevelopment #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #PeopleFirst #BetterLeadership

Ep 183, There’s a Human on the Other Side of the Conflict

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Rita Cincotta. Together we explore:
Is everyone coachable?
Planting seeds for reflection
Investing in yourself and others through consistency and practice in the “boring,” yet essential, everyday actions
Forming trust at work
Polite cooperation vs. collaboration
Demonstrating a desire to understand colleagues
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube: @3pconflictrestoration
 
Rita Cincotta is the Founder and CEO of The Deliberate Leader, a leadership development practice dedicated to helping leaders cultivate intentionality, clarity, and impact in their leadership. She is a seasoned professional in leadership development, serving as a facilitator, speaker, coach, author, and non-executive Board Director. With over two decades of experience, Rita has held executive positions across various industries and now consults widely in the sectors of technology, healthcare, financial services, aged care, media and advertising, not for profit, e-commerce, FMCG, and higher education.
Her journey into deliberate leadership began with a career in Human Resources, where she held C-suite roles leading teams through complex transformations. Through these experiences, she saw firsthand the impact of intentional leadership—how clarity, purpose, and authenticity shape not just leaders, but entire organisational cultures. Recognizing a gap in how leadership was often approached, she transitioned from corporate leadership to coaching, training, and speaking to help others lead with greater intention and impact. Since 2018, she has been dedicated to equipping leaders with the tools to cultivate high-performing, healthy teams.
As an accomplished facilitator, Rita has expertly crafted and delivered leadership programs tailored to different industries and businesses. Her qualifications are in the domains of Organisational Behaviour, Human Resources, Marketing, and Industrial and Employee Relations. Additionally, Rita is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute (MAHRI), and an alumnus of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She holds accreditations in Clarity 4D, Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), and the Korn Ferry Leadership Architect method.
Rita has spoken on national and international stages as a keynote speaker, addressing topics including team performance, cultural transformation, change management, resilience, and innovative work methodologies. In 2021, she authored her debut book, Evolve: The Business Partnering Playbook, followed by her second book, You Are How You Lead, in 2023.
Rita is a Board Director and serves on the Board and subcommittees of Peninsula Health and Left Write Hook.
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.

Ep 182, Difficult Boss or Toxic Boss

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett. Join us as we explore:
The difference between a difficult boss and a toxic boss
The vital importance of clear conversations and telling people the truth
The key to having courageous conversations: practice, practice, practice.
What is your psychological contract at work?
Laura Hambley Lovett’s new book: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube: @3pconflictrestoration
Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett is an organizational psychologist and thought leader sought-after internationally for her expertise on workplace culture, career development, toxic leadership, and burnout. Along with her 25 years of experience in her field, she holds a PhD in industrial/organizational psychology from the University of Calgary, where she is currently an adjunct professor. A passionate entrepreneur, she has founded several psychology practices in Canada and hosts the widely followed podcast Where Work Meets Life.
In addition to I Wish I’d Quit Sooner, she has published two psychological thrillers, Losing Cadence and Finding Sophie, aimed at both captivating readers and raising awareness on important topics around mental health and domestic violence, currently being adapted for a TV series. Dr. Laura is also co-founder of the WITH HER movement focused on ending violence against women and girls. She received a Canadian Women of Inspiration Award as a Global Influencer in 2018. For more information, visit https://drlaura.live.
Social media:
https://www.instagram.com/drlaura.live/ 
https://www.facebook.com/Dr.Laura.whereworkmeetslife
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlaurahambley/
https://x.com/DrLaura_
https://www.tiktok.com/@drlaura.live
Pre-order: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss
 
#ConflictManaged #Podcast #ToxicBoss #CourageousConversations

Ep 181, Be Coachable

This week on Conflict Managed, we welcome Grant Freeman. Together we explore what it really means to be coachable and how openness, clarity, and curiosity shape strong teams and thriving businesses.
💡 Topics include:• Serving small businesses well• Clear communication: pick up the phone, Zoom, or Teams• Avoid making rules for the lowest common denominator• Catching your people doing something right• Taking the pulse of your organization• The difference between urgent and important
Good management doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through honest dialogue and consistent care.
Conflict Managed is available wherever you listen to podcasts and on YouTube @ 3pconflictrestoration.  
Grant Freeman is President at Thryv, which provides comprehensive business management tools—CRM, marketing automation, appointment scheduling, and reputation management—to over 350,000 small businesses across the U.S. Their platform aims to streamline operations, enhance customer engagement, and foster growth for local businesses
Grant’s prior title was Chief Customer Officer focusing on improving the client and employee experience to create highly engaged and happy clients. Grant remains focused on leading the global team responsible for acquisition, retention, operations and client success.
Conflict Managed is hosted by Merry Brown and produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services.  
#ConflictManagedPodcast #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #CommunicationMatters #BeCoachable

Ep 180, Find the Friction & Address It

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Jimmy Burroughes. Join us as we explore:
Spotting friction early and turning it into progress
Rebuilding trust following the S.E.R.V.I.C.E method
Simple leader routines that improve performance and retention
Take the weekly 20 Minute Reflection Challenge
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube: @3pconflictrestoration
Jimmy Burroughes has transitioned from commanding military units in difficult environments to steering senior leaders at top organizations like Samsung, Lego, Fonterra, and Bank of America. He’s the author of bestselling books “Beat Burnout – Ignite Performance" and “Escape the Multitasking Trap.” His signature "Simplify to Amplify" methodology is all about removing friction and complexity fast, leading to an average 47% improvement in leadership performance within just 90 days.
With 3,000 leaders transformed across 40 countries, Jimmy delivers real, measurable results rather than theoretical frameworks. His practical, action-ready solutions have boosted productivity by 156%, increased retention rates, and saved organizations millions. Plus, his approach empowers managers to act confidently—no burnout allowed.
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.
 
#ConflictResolution #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #Burnout

Ep 179, Reflect, Report, Resolve.

This week on Conflict Managed, we welcome back award-winning attorney Jessica Childress for her third appearance on the show. Join us as we discuss: 
Leaving a toxic workplace on your own terms 
Toxic vs. Illegal work environments
Leaving with dignity
Your multi-hyphenated identity impacts the world
Conflict Managed is available wherever you listen to podcasts and on YouTube @ 3pconflictrestoration.  
Jessica Childress is the author of Peace: Leaving a Toxic Workplace on Your Own Terms.  Ms. Childress has practiced employment law for over eleven years, representing organizations of all sizes and individuals in employment law matters.  She is the Managing Attorney of the Childress Firm PLLC, a boutique employment law firm, based in Washington, D.C. 
Ms. Childress holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and African American Studies from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law. Ms. Childress graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with High Distinction from the University of Virginia in 2007. 
Prior to launching the Childress Firm PLLC, Ms. Childress served as an associate at two global law firms and as an attorney at the United States Department of Justice.  
Ms. Childress has litigated retaliation, discrimination, sexual harassment, non-competition, trade secret, unfair labor practice, and whistleblower cases before various tribunals. She serves clients in general business transactions with employees and independent contractors. Ms. Childress drafts agreements such as employment agreements, consulting agreements, severance agreements, and confidentiality agreements. 
She has been the recipient of several honors, including the National Bar Association’s 2018 Young Lawyer of the Year Award, the Washington Bar Association’s 2017-2018 Young Lawyer of the Year Award, the National Bar Association’s 40 under 40 Best Advocates Award, the Kim Keenan Leadership & Advocacy Award, the Greater Washington Area Chapter of the National Bar Association’s Rising Star Award, and recognition by the National Black Lawyers as one of the top 100 black attorneys. In 2022, Ms. Childress received the Women Owned Law organization’s Woman Legal Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Ms. Childress has been named to the 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) Rising Stars lists. In 2024, The Childress Firm PLLC was honored as a Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise by the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council. 
Ms. Childress is a 2022 graduate of the Aspen Institute’s Justice and Society program. Ms. Childress serves as a contributor for Arianna Huffington’s international media outlet, Thrive Global. She has been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes, Essence, the Huffington Post, Success, and Entrepreneur. 
 https://thechildressfirm.com/
Conflict Managed is hosted by Merry Brown and produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services.  

Ep 178, Fear-Based Leadership

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Kate Lowry to talk about what it’s like to work under fear-based leadership and how you can respond without losing yourself. Join us as we discuss:
Fear based leadership – is it back?
How to recognize the signs of fear-driven leadership
Practical tools for surviving and staying grounded in toxic environments
What it means to be ‘unbreakable’ at work
Diversifying your identity: you are not reducible to one thing
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube: @3pconflictrestoration
Kate Lowry is a CEO coach, venture capitalist, and author based in Silicon Valley. An expert in fear-based leaders, Kate developed her methodology growing up in a personal hierarchical family, then refined her approach in the elite worlds of start-ups, private equity, management consulting, and big tech at McKinsey, Meta, and Insight Partners. She is the author of Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders. In her free time, you can find her writing comedy and music and cuddling her service dog, Annie.
Pre-order links:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR1G981Y/ref=sr_1_2?
https://www.amazon.com/Unbreakable-Thrive-Under-Fear-Based-Leaders-ebook/dp/B0FQ71FW72/ref=sr_1_1
Social media links:
https://www.instagram.com/kateunbreakablelowry/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579366067469
 
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.

Ep 177, Addiction and Recovery

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Severn Lang. Together we explore:🌱 Planting seeds of support when a colleague is struggling🌱 The real gift of a manager who shows up with care🌱 Why excellent managers know their employees’ goals🌱 The power of cheering on your colleagues🌱 When a colleague or client is upset, or when you’ve made a mistake, start with acknowledgment
 
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube: @3pconflictrestoration
 
Severn Lang helps people see addiction for what it is: not just a battle with substances, but the quiet, everyday ways we hold on when we should be letting go. Whether it’s staying in the wrong relationship, clinging to clutter tied to old grief, or numbing oneself with digital distractions, Severn invites listeners to recognize their patterns—and meet them with honesty, humor, and compassion.Severn’s journey includes experiencing both active addiction and periods of homelessness, even during his first year of long-term sobriety. Now twelve years sober, Severn draws from both lived experience and creative practice to explore what recovery looks like beyond the AA room. His work is grounded, reflective, and rooted in a belief that healing doesn’t require perfection, just presence. Working with his extreme dyslexia has been a daily challenge, but it has also taught him creative problem-solving techniques and new ways of thinking, fueling his determination to keep trying until he finds solutions.As a playwright and filmmaker, he tells stories that make the emotional tangible—like his powerful account of cleaning out a kitchen shelf overflowing with old ketchup bottles, a moment that mirrored his journey of letting go of grief and baggage from his father, who was his main caregiver but refused to speak to Severn or his brother due to schizophrenia.Before this chapter of his life, Severn worked as a top-tier hairstylist and model. But it’s his role now, as a quiet disruptor of outdated recovery narratives, that feels most aligned. He’s not here to preach or package a perfect solution. Instead, he offers small, honest shifts in how we see ourselves and what we’re attached to.
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.
 
#ConflictResolution #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #Recovery #Addiction #EAP

Ep 176, The Secure Leader

This week on Conflict Managed, we welcome Dr. Jaime Goff. Join us as we discuss:
🗝The joy of working with a fantastic leader
🗝How to disagree well at work
🗝Should you vent to your leader?
🗝Emotions as information
🗝When a leader reacts badly to feedback, how should you respond?
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube: @3pconflictrestoration
Dr. Jaime Goff is the author of "The Secure Leader" and founder of The Empathic Leader, LLC, where she specializes in helping leaders unlock their full potential through executive coaching, insightful workshops, and thought-provoking keynotes. With her unique blend of expertise in psychology and leadership development, Jaime helps individuals and teams navigate their toughest challenges, build resilience, and achieve transformative growth.In addition to her coaching and speaking, Jaime serves as the Director of Leadership Development for an international healthcare system, where she designs and leads innovative programs that inspire leaders to thrive. Her career began in higher education as a professor of Couple and Family Therapy and later as an academic dean.Dr. Goff’s thought leadership has been featured in academic journals and industry magazines. She shares her insights regularly on her blog and LinkedIn, where she engages a thriving community. A seasoned speaker, Jaime has delivered presentations and workshops at more than 30 professional conferences.Jaime holds a PhD in Couple and Family Therapy from Michigan State University and a graduate certificate in executive coaching from Southern Methodist University. She is an ICF-certified coach and holds the SHRM-CP designation. With over 25 years of experience as a psychotherapist, professor, and executive coach, she is passionate about helping leaders craft empowering stories that help them become more secure.When she’s not empowering others, you’ll find Jaime hiking with her husband, Eric; spending time with her dog Ursa and her cat Amos; painting; or building Lego sets. Find out more about them https://drjaimegoff.com/.
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.

Ep 175, Before You Reach Burnout, Proactively Take Control

This week on Conflict Managed, we’re joined by Michelle Niemeyer. Join us as we discuss:
The art of bending time: become a ‘time suck ninja’
When your experience of a colleague differs from other people’s
The important difference between task-oriented relationships and human relationships with colleagues
Recognizing unprofessional behavior as soon as possible, before it becomes a pattern
Listen on your favorite podcast platform or on YouTube: @3pconflictrestoration
Michelle Niemeyer is a speaker, coach and former attorney who teaches professionals how to bend time so they can stay sharp, productive and profitable – without burning out. After finding her way to burnout and back in her own high-performing legal career, Michelle created The Art of Bending Time, a framework that helps people connect the dots across work, life, and purpose to magnetize success and reclaim their joy. She helps businesses retain top talent, boost development, and keep their people energized and engaged – all while making the magic happen.
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.
#PreventBurnout #TimeManagement #WorkplaceConflict #WorkplaceCulture #ProfessionalBoundaries