Ever had a conversation go nuclear in 60 seconds flat? You're not alone. In this episode of The Business Mechanic Show, Vaughn Sigmon breaks down how great leaders turn explosive moments into opportunities for trust and clarity.
Learn how to stop pouring gas on the fire and start becoming the calm thermostat your team needs when emotions run high. This is your playbook for defusing tension and keeping control.
🎯 Vaughn shares tactical phrases, body language tips, and science-backed techniques to help you cool the temperature before it ever hits boiling. Don't just survive conflict—lead through it.
In this episode, you'll learn:
-
What not to say when someone's emotional
-
How to use silence as a leadership tool
-
The "70/30 Rule" for listening vs. talking
-
A script for when you're being personally attacked
-
The psychology of calm authority
Timestamps:
00:00 – Opening: The moment a conversation explodes
02:08 – Why managers unknowingly make it worse
03:55 – Fight fire with calm: What the brain does in conflict
06:27 – The power of emotional contagion
08:12 – Pattern interrupt and naming the emotion
10:02 – What not to say (and what to say instead)
12:31 – Jefferson Fisher's 3-part response to verbal attacks
14:55 – The power of pausing and silence
16:45 – The 70/30 listening rule
18:33 – Witness, don't fix: Let them drain
20:10 – Final reminder: They're not mad at you
Links:
📘 Download the Free eBook: The Roadmap to Difficult Conversations
🌐 Explore Our Leadership Programs: rdltraining.com
Stay Connected with Newsletters and Updates
Join our mailing list to receive our team's latest news and updates. Don't worry; your information will not be shared.
We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information for any reason.
Learn More About Our Online Training Courses
Contact Vaughn@rdltraining.com for a Free Consultation
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Male Room with Dr. Jesse Mills
As Director of The Men’s Clinic at UCLA, Dr. Jesse Mills has spent his career helping men understand their bodies, their hormones, and their health. Now he’s bringing that expertise to The Male Room — a podcast where data-driven medicine meets common sense. Each episode separates fact from hype, science from snake oil, and gives men the tools to live longer, stronger, and happier lives. With candor, humor, and real-world experience from the exam room and the operating room, Dr. Mills breaks down the latest health headlines, dissects trends, and explains what actually works — and what doesn’t. Smart, straightforward, and entertaining, The Male Room is the show that helps men take charge of their health without the jargon.