The Geometry of Reconciliation

Written By Jared Miller

Turning Conflict Into a Strategic Advantage

Overview

Most leaders treat conflict as a disruption. In reality, conflict is information—a signal that something important is emerging, shifting, or misaligned. The Geometry of Reconciliation reframes conflict from something to avoid into something leaders can work with, learn from, and even leverage.

This talk introduces a simple but powerful geometric framework that helps teams see where they are stuck, understand what forces are acting on them, and chart a practical path toward clarity.

Core Idea: Conflict Has Shape

Every conflict carries recognizable patterns—tension, pressure, misalignment, competing desires. When leaders understand the shape of these forces, they can respond with precision instead of panic.

This talk helps participants:

  • Recognize the geometry of conflict (pressure, triangulation, drift, polarization)

  • Identify the centre — the shared purpose that grounds the process

  • Map the forces acting on individuals, teams, or systems

  • Discern when to de-escalate, when to clarify, and when to act

  • Move from positional arguments to interest-based understanding

Key Teaching Elements

1. The Centre: Shared Purpose as Anchor

Conflict destabilizes teams by pulling people away from shared purpose.
Jared teaches how to re-establish the centre so conversations return to what matters most.

2. Lines of Force: What’s Really Driving the Conflict

Every conflict has invisible lines of force—unspoken fears, competing interpretations, unmet expectations.
Participants learn to name and map these forces so they can address the real issue, not the surface symptoms.

3. Triangulation & Drift

Conflict creates gravitational pull. People get pulled into alliances, avoidance, or overfunctioning.
The framework helps leaders spot these patterns early and interrupt them before they calcify.

4. The Reconciliation Arc

Jared introduces a practical arc—from tension → clarity → commitment—for moving groups toward meaningful resolution.

What Participants Take Away

Practical Skills

  • How to diagnose the type of conflict, not just the emotion around it

  • How to design a conversation that lowers heat and increases clarity

  • How to turn tension into direction, not derailment

Leadership Mindset Shifts

  • Conflict isn’t failure — it’s data

  • Tension can reveal hidden wisdom

  • The goal isn’t agreement, but aligned movement

  • Calm is a leadership asset, not a personality trait

Tools & Frameworks

  • Jared’s “Geometry of Reconciliation Map”

  • A conflict-design checklist leaders can use immediately

  • A simple 10-minute diagnostic you can run before any difficult conversation

Why This Talk Matters

Organizations succeed or fail based on how they handle conflict.
This session equips leaders to:

  • Reduce escalation and reactivity

  • Strengthen team trust

  • Make better strategic decisions

  • Navigate complexity with calm clarity

  • Build healthier, more resilient cultures

Conflict becomes something leaders can use, not fear.

Ideal For

  • Executive teams

  • Boards & committees

  • Municipal / regional leadership

  • Nonprofits & churches

  • Schools, healthcare teams, community organizations

  • Professional associations (ADRIO, HRPA, OAPC, etc.)

Jared Miller https://jaredmiller.ca
Previous

The Reconciliation of Desire
Next

Kenotic Leadership