Conflict-Intelligent Leadership: Rescuing a World on Fire

1. Leadership in an age of permacrisis

Coleman positions his article in what he calls an era of permacrisis: a continuous accumulation of societal, geopolitical, organisational and moral crises. Today's leaders face pandemics, polarisation, cultural conflict, geopolitical tension and institutional distrust, often simultaneously and under constant public scrutiny.

In this context, Coleman contends, classic leadership models fall short. Technical expertise, rational decision-making or even emotional intelligence alone are not enough. What is required is conflict-intelligent leadership: leadership that does not treat conflict primarily as a risk to be avoided, but as an inevitable and potentially productive force that must be handled intelligently 1.

Coleman introduces conflict-intelligent leadership (CIQ-L) as a new paradigm, grounded in decades of interdisciplinary research across conflict studies, psychology, complexity theory and organisational science. At its core is the RESCUE framework, a practical, crisis-oriented leadership model that helps leaders redirect destructive conflict toward resilience, learning and durable change.

2. The scientific basis of conflict intelligence

Coleman builds his argument on a broad empirical foundation. His research team at the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution at Columbia University studied conflict behaviour across widely different settings: organisations, communities, international negotiations and long-running, intractable disputes 3.

Central insights from this work include the following: conflicts are dynamic systems rather than static problems; dealing effectively with conflict demands adaptivity rather than a fixed style; emotions, power relations, history and identity are always in play; and attempts to suppress or oversimplify conflict frequently drive escalation.

From this, Coleman develops the concept of Conflict Intelligence (CIQ): the capacity to engage constructively and effectively with different forms of conflict under complex and changing conditions. CIQ is not a fixed trait but a developable capability that grows through experience, training and reflection.

3. The core components of Conflict Intelligence (CIQ)

Coleman distinguishes five interrelated core competencies. First, adaptivity: the ability to tailor strategies and interventions to the type of conflict, its phase and its context, never one size fits all. Second, emotional regulation: staying calm, clear and purposeful under pressure rather than reacting from impulse, fear or defensiveness.

Third, systemic awareness: insight into wider patterns such as institutional structures, historical grievances, power asymmetries and cultural dynamics. Fourth, optimal tension regulation: finding the right level of tension, enough conflict to make change possible, but not so much that the system explodes. This mirrors the interventions on the Glasl escalation ladder that conflict resolution professionals use every day.

The fifth factor is resistance to change, a negative force: rigid beliefs, institutional inertia and cognitive biases that block learning and adaptation. Coleman explicitly models CIQ as a dynamic system in which these factors influence one another and can grow or fade over time, which makes the concept especially relevant to simulation, training and leadership development.r

4. From CIQ to conflict-intelligent leadership (CIQ-L)

Conflict-intelligent leadership is the application of CIQ to situations in which others are influenced, directed or guided. CIQ-L operates explicitly on multiple levels: the self level (inner regulation and self-awareness), the social level (interpersonal and group dynamics), the situational level (context, timing, escalation phase), the structural level (rules, procedures, institutions) and the systemic level (societal and historical forces).

A crucial added dimension in leadership is public perception. Leaders rarely act out of sight of the media, stakeholders or public opinion. How a conflict is communicated, framed and perceived profoundly shapes how it unfolds. Conflict-intelligent leadership is therefore not only personal mastery but also public and institutional craftsmanship.

5. The seven core principles of conflict-intelligent leadership

From research and practice, Coleman distils seven guiding principles 1. One, lay the groundwork before the crisis erupts: invest in trust, relationships, conflict skills and psychological safety. Two, begin deliberately rather than reactively, because early interventions set the path toward escalation or de-escalation.

Three, master adaptivity: hold on to your long-term goals but switch strategy flexibly. Four, balance opposites: combine collaboration and boundaries, empathy and clarity, dialogue and decisiveness. Five, work with the context, not against it: zoom out when you get stuck and analyse the broader forces and structures at play.

Six, be opportunistic in the positive sense: seize unexpected openings, emotional turning points and informal channels. Seven, play the long game: focus on institutional change, narratives and durable relationships. These principles form the bridge between theory and the practical RESCUE model.

6. The metaphor of fire: learning from wildfires

One of the article's most original contributions is the comparison between conflict and fire. Conflict can destroy everything in its path, or it can be deployed in a controlled way to clear space for renewal.

Coleman draws here on wildfire management, in particular the LCES model (Lookouts, Communications, Escape routes, Safety zones) developed by fire ecologist Paul Gleason 2. He translates these hard-won safety principles into leadership under conflict conditions: know where the danger is coming from, keep communication open, always keep an exit, and protect the people you lead.

7. The RESCUE framework: six phases of conflict-intelligent crisis leadership

The RESCUE model is the article's central practical instrument. It describes six connected phases:

R – Radical Clarity

Self-awareness, emotional discipline and early detection, so leaders learn to "see smoke before there are flames". E, Effective Communication and Deep Transparency: open, honest and empathetic communication to prevent rumours, polarisation and distrust.

E – Effective Communication & Deep Transparency

Open, honest and empathetic communication to prevent rumours, polarisation and distrust.

S – Strategic Adaptivity

Flexible decision-making, scenario thinking and keeping alternatives and "escape routes" ready.

C – Conflict-Safe & Conflict-Positive Environments

Building the psychological safety in which disagreement is welcome and used for learning and innovation.

U – Unified Structural Institutionalization & Learning

Embedding conflict skills in policy, structures, training and evaluation systems.

E – Enduring Resilience & Growth

Conflicts are explicitly used as a source of growth, resilience and institutional strengthening.

Together these phases form a cyclical, systemic model applicable in organisations, governments, international negotiations and complex multi-stakeholder settings. Result ADR helps organisations translate this thinking into practice through business mediation and targeted leadership and conflict training.

8. Conclusie: conflict-intelligent leiderschap als morele en strategische noodzaak

Coleman closes with a powerful call to action. In a polarised world, conflict-intelligent leadership is morally necessary, because it places human dignity, inclusion and justice at the centre; and strategically indispensable, because it makes organisations resilient, innovative and future-proof 1.

Leaders cannot avoid conflict. But they can choose how they respond to it: reactively or intelligently, suppressing or transforming. The RESCUE framework offers a robust, scientifically grounded roadmap for that choice. If you want to explore how these principles apply to a concrete situation in your organisation, get in touch with Result ADR for an initial conversation.

Bronvermelding

1. Peter T. Coleman, Conflict-Intelligent Leadership: Rescuing a World on Fire. Negotiation Journal (2025), 41: 317-350. DOI: 10.1162/NGTN.a.2. https://direct.mit.edu/ngtn/article/doi/10.1162/NGTN.a.2/132655/Conflict-Intelligent-Leadership-Rescuing-a-World

2. Paul Gleason, LCES: Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes and Safety Zones. National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), 1991. https://www.nwcg.gov/6mfs/day-in-history/lces-june-26-1990

3. Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (MD-ICCCR), Teachers College, Columbia University, Peter T. Coleman faculty profile. https://www.tc.columbia.edu/faculty/pc84/