180 Adam Vane, Conflict Mediator and Coach: Why Mastering Yourself Is the First Step to Mastering Conflict

About this episode

Adam Vane discusses the importance of self-mastery as a foundation for effective conflict resolution.

Some unlock moments arrive quietly. Others come when life is in full conflict. For executive coach and conflict mediator Adam Vane, clarity appeared only after he walked away from the family business and into years of intense Zen training. Alone on a mountaintop retreat, he realised a truth that changed everything: “Nobody’s going to help me figure this out… it’s just little me.” That moment became the foundation for a career spent teaching leaders how to stay calm in chaos. In this episode, Adam offers a masterclass in de-escalation - how to hear the “charged words,” diffuse hostility and guide conversations from confrontation to breakthrough. From UN crisis zones to high-stakes boardrooms, he shows that effective conflict resolution isn’t about power … it’s about presence, attention and the courage to truly listen.

People in this episode

Host: Dr Gary Crotaz PhD

Guest: Adam Vane

Topics covered

• conflict resolution
• leadership
• self-mastery
• Zen training
• de-escalation
• communication

Keywords

• conflict
• leadership
• Zen
• de-escalation
• communication
• presence
• attention

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