Crouch, Pause, Engage: A Mentor’s Guide to Mastering Confrontation

A note to young leaders.
I catch up with one of my mentors once a month at 6.00am for a walk in Centennial Park.

On one such occasion, we were discussing how I should approach a necessary business confrontation.

Here’s what he told me: “Think of a Rugby scrum. That’s a great metaphor for a confrontation. And what do the players do? They come together, crouch, pause, engage.”
So when you are feeling provoked or angry and inclined to fight: surround yourself with colleagues for support and counsel, crouch, pause and then engage.

This type of confrontation is controlled, respectful and measured. The crouch and the pause help you to harness your energies, clarify your objectives and respect your adversary.
Crouch, pause, engage.

If you do this, confrontation can lead to self-knowledge and self-mastery.