Struggle with the Issue, Not Each Other: Using Confrontation to Harvest Success

Contention as a Perk

It might not sound intuitive, but the best thing you can do about contention is throw fuel on the flames. You heard it right. One of the oddly inspiring styles of enduringly successful people is that contention is something they actually seek out. We’re talking here about gloves-off, brutally frank dialog. It’s what some pundits call naked conversations.

Many entrepreneurs light up when you raise the topic. It’s something they look forward to, and many said their team saw contentious meetings as a “perk” for working with them. If this sounds like an episode of Jerry Springer, it isn’t. Here’s the difference: These naked conversations are not intended to be personally abusive (although you still may need a thick skin). The ...