Conflict is where the best decisions, strongest relationships and most creative work come from. The trouble is, almost nobody is taught how to do it well. We treat tension as a sign that something’s gone wrong, when it’s usually a sign that something matters.


But conflict is a skill, and like any skill, it can be built. When you learn how to handle conflict better, you learn how to live better. In Clear in Tension, award-winning author and entrepreneur Tim Duggan draws on interviews with leading researchers and global experts to give you a step-by-step method for navigating conflict. You’ll build real-world skills through practical exercises you can use immediately, at work, in relationships and within yourself.

Learn how to:

Read any conflict accurately, so you can respond well

Understand your default responses (and where they help or hold you back)

Know which fights are worth having and which aren’t

Hear what’s actually at stake, not just what’s being said

Find shared direction, even when you don’t fully agree


Being good at conflict is how we get things done. With this book, you’ll move from carrying tension to working through it, and finding clarity in the moments that matter most. That’s what it means to be clear in tension.