admin - Lisa D. Foster, Leadership Coaching & Training

Emotional Intelligence in Conflict at Work: Why It Escalates—Even When You’re Handling It Well

April 1, 2026

Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Resolution: 3 Simple Steps That Work Emotional intelligence and conflict resolution are deeply connected at work, where emotions often determine whether problems escalate or get resolved. Most leaders don’t think they handle conflict poorly. They try to stay calm. Be reasonable. Focus on the issue. And yet—Conversations get tense.People become defensive.Issues drag on longer than they should. So the question becomes: Why does conflict escalate—even when you’re trying to handle it well? This is where many…

The 80% Trap: Why Being Very Good Blocks Senior Leadership Readiness

The 80% Trap Is Where Execution Peaks but Ownership Has Not Expanded You’re in the 80% trap if your strong performance has stopped translating into senior leadership readiness. You’re doing a lot right. You’re dependable.You’re productive.You carry weight others don’t.You solve problems quickly and well. And yet… The next level isn’t happening. You may even be thinking: This is the 80% trap. You are operating at 80% of what senior leadership requires — and that final 20% is not about…