The Art of Fighting: The Transformative Power of Conflict with bestselling author Priya Parker

We say we want community, strong teams, meaningful relationships, and healthy organizations. Yet many of us lack the skills to navigate the conflict that inevitably arises when people live, work, and create together.

In this conversation, facilitator and bestselling author Priya Parker draws from more than two decades of experience helping groups navigate moments of transition, tension, and change. Drawing from her forthcoming book The Art of Fighting, she challenges the idea that conflict is abnormal, dysfunctional, or something to avoid. Instead, she argues that conflict, when held well, is what keeps a group relevant and becoming its fullest version of itself.

Many of us oscillate between unhealthy peace and unhealthy conflict, either avoiding difficult conversations altogether or escalating them in ways that damage relationships. Parker explores the practical skills that help people hold healthy heat: the kind of conflict that surfaces what matters, strengthens trust, and allows something generative to emerge. Participants will leave with a new understanding of conflict not as a threat to community but as one of the forces that help groups grow, adapt, and stay connected over time.

Supporter Ticket pricing helps offset the true cost of this Happening, making it possible for us to keep standard ticket prices as accessible as possible. We never want cost to be a barrier to participating. If the ticket price presents a financial challenge, please reach out to Lou Fusco at lou@thirdspacest.org—we’re happy to help.

Priya Parker is a facilitator, strategic advisor, and acclaimed author. She has spent 20 years helping leaders and communities have complicated conversations about community, identity, and vision at moments of transition. Trained in conflict resolution, she has worked on race relations on American college campuses and on peace processes in the Arab world, southern Africa, and India.