Episode 21: Leading Through Conflict, Pt. 1 - Ken Hyatt, Partner & Co-Founder at CMPartners

In this first of a two-part conversation, Ken Hyatt, Founder and Partner at CMPartners, sits down with Patty to share a remarkable career spanning management consulting, the Harvard Negotiation Project, and senior leadership in the U.S. government. A former student and colleague of Getting to Yes author Roger Fisher, Ken has also founded the Global Restoration Institute, working with governments to address the deep wounds that sit beneath conflict and polarization. 

You’ll hear Ken and Patty explore how the timeframe you choose can shape a difficult conversation, why managing a conflict isn’t the same as transforming it, and the hidden cost leaders pay when relationship issues go unaddressed. Ken also introduces his practitioner’s leadership framework, built for a world he calls “VUCA squared,” and previews the practices that help leaders manage themselves, engage others, and guide organizations through constant change. This thoughtful, wide-ranging episode explores what it takes to lead well in an era of volatility, distrust, and division, and sets the stage for a deeper dive in Part 2. 

What you’ll hear about 

• Should difficult conversations start with the past, present, or future? 

• What’s the difference between managing conflict and truly transforming it? 

• What happens when leaders ignore relationship problems on their teams? 

• Why is leading in today’s world harder than ever before? 

• What does it take to lead yourself before leading others? 

• How can leaders set strategic direction when everything keeps changing? 

This episode is intended for clinical operations executives and functional leaders, offering a clear framework for navigating conflict, strengthening relationships, and leading effectively through uncertainty. 

Timestamps 

01:10 – Negotiation, conflict, and the work of CMPartners 

03:10 – Healing the wounds that fuel conflict 

06:05 – Improving civic conversations for America’s 250th 

07:25 – Where negotiation meets collective trauma 

10:25 – Past, present, or future: where to start a hard conversation 

14:15 – Lessons from the birth of Getting to Yes 

19:45 – When getting to yes isn’t enough 

22:15 – Managing vs. transforming conflict 

26:10 – The hidden cost of ignoring relationship issues 

30:20 – From adviser to decider in government 

33:15 – Leading in a VUCA squared world 

36:30 – Leading yourself: reflect, regulate, restore 

38:50 – Leading others: communication, conflict, and connection 

41:05 – Leading the organization in an ever-changing world 

44:00 – The culmination of a career 

Guest Biography 

Ken Hyatt is Founder and Partner at CMPartners, where he advises companies and governments on complex negotiations, conflicts, and critical relationships. A Harvard Law graduate and early associate of the Harvard Negotiation Project, he later served as Acting Under Secretary and Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce, leading the International Trade Administration. He also founded the Global Restoration Institute, helping leaders and societies transform the wounds of the past to build healthier relationships and more resilient communities.