Many Conflicts Can be Resolved, Others Managed.
And Some Will Need A New Approach Altogether.
Nearly every conflict resolution strategy assumes both people want peace. But leaders don't just face disagreement. They face hostility, bad faith, and people who've decided that war serves them better than resolution. Knowing the difference, and knowing what to do about it, is a skill most leaders were never given.
What Attendees Are Saying!
"Outstanding presentation, engaging and tactical. Got me in the right direction!"
-International Franchise Association
The Big Idea:
Conflict resolution assumes reasonableness. De-escalation doesn't have to. When a leader meets someone who doesn't want peace, the usual playbook doesn't just fail, it makes things worse. The leaders who hold in those moments are the ones who stay regulated long enough to find the meaning behind the madness, and steady enough to keep the moment from becoming something worse.
Session Description
How to Wrestle With B.E.A.R.S. is drawn from the violent world Ryan came from; gang intelligence, hostage negotiation, and crisis intervention, where the person across the table often had no interest in being reasonable. Blending real-world stories with field-tested tools, Ryan gives leaders a framework for the conflicts that don't follow the rules.
This session goes beyond conflict resolution theory. It equips leaders to recognize hostility for what it is, de-escalate without absorbing the heat, and manage themselves when someone is actively working to provoke them. Attendees learn to read what's actually driving a hostile person, so they can respond to the real problem rather than the performance in front of them.
Whether the pressure comes from an unreasonable client, a volatile employee, or a room that's turned against itself, this keynote gives leaders the composure and the strategy to lower the temperature when everything is pushing it higher.
Why You Need This:
"Keeping the peace is significantly easier than making peace where there is none. Leaders who understand how to do it don't only protect themselves. They protect others."
Who It's For
This talk resonates most with leaders and teams who:
-
Face hostile customers, clients, patients, or constituents who are B.E.A.RS - Belligerent, Emotional, Angry/Aggressive, and Revenge Seeking.
-
Manage entrenched conflict that standard resolution tactics haven't moved.
-
Must make progress while navigating competing interests, power struggles, or personality clashes.
The Takeaway
By the end, your audience will be able to:
-
Recognize when resolution is no longer possible, and de-escalation is required.
-
De-escalate hostility without matching its energy or surrendering their position.
-
Stay regulated when someone is deliberately provoking them.
-
Find the meaning behind the madness, and respond to what's actually driving the behavior.
How It Lands
Ryan tailors every keynote to the room. This one tends to hit hardest at:
-
Healthcare and patient-facing organizations
-
Public safety, first responder, and frontline gatherings
-
Customer service, hospitality, and member-facing teams
-
Higher education and student affairs
-
HR, people-ops, and employee relations conferences
-
Any organization navigating hostility, unrest, or high-conflict personalities