Managing Conflict Inside Mission-Driven Organizations
When Caring About the Mission Makes Conflict Harder
Dr. Irvine Nugent on Nonprofit Nerd: Impact Unleashed with Jarrett Ransom
A shared mission doesn’t mean people will always agree. Sometimes caring deeply about the work—and the people doing it—makes difficult conversations even harder to begin.
Dr. Irvine Nugent joins Jarrett Ransom to discuss the conflict pressures nonprofit leaders face and how to address tension without losing connection. Drawing on his experience as a former nonprofit CEO, his research in nonprofit management, and his work as co-founder of Conflict EQ, Irvine explores why well-intentioned leaders avoid conversations their organizations need.
In This Conversation
Why commitment to a shared mission doesn’t eliminate conflict
How avoiding difficult conversations can move tension into side conversations and private messages
What respectful, honest disagreement looks like in a nonprofit team
How leaders can notice defensiveness and respond more deliberately
A practical starting point for a conversation you’ve been putting off
Caring About Relationships Includes Having Difficult Conversations
For leaders who value connection, raising a difficult issue can feel like putting a relationship at risk. But leaving it unspoken can create its own distance.
Irvine discusses how leaders can approach these moments with curiosity rather than arriving ready to defend, persuade, or fix. The starting point is understanding what is happening—not forcing an immediate resolution.
He also explores the personal side of leading through tension: noticing when your tone changes, your body tightens, or you begin preparing your defense instead of listening. Recognizing those signals creates an opportunity to choose a more constructive response.
One Idea to Take Back to Work
Choose one small conversation you’ve been avoiding. Begin by naming what you’ve noticed and inviting the other person’s perspective:
“Can we talk about something I’ve been noticing? I want to understand your perspective.”
You don’t have to solve everything in one conversation. Start by making room for a more honest one.
About Dr. Irvine Nugent
Dr. Irvine Nugent, CSP, PCC, is a workplace conflict keynote speaker and co-founder of Conflict EQ. He helps leaders recognize how conflict shapes their reactions—and stay grounded, clear, and constructive when tension rises.
