Discover what hostage negotiation best practices can teach leaders about conflict management.
Hostage negotiators are unmatched when it comes to operating under extreme pressure. Their ability to stay composed, think clearly, and communicate effectively in life-or-death situations isn’t luck—it’s trained precision.
At Conflictish®, we bring that same high-stakes precision to executive leadership. To date, we've coached and trained leaders across industries and around the world, strengthening leadership presence and building soft skills for hard moments.
Impact:
20+
Years of Experience
5000+
Leaders Trained
1M
Engaged Social Media Followers
600+
Micro-lessons Authored
Who We Are
Conflictish® is a conflict strategy firm that helps leaders and organizations improve how they perform under pressure. Built on our proprietary Real Tact Model®, we equip leaders to stay clear, composed, and credible when the stakes are highest. Founded by former hostage negotiator and detective Ryan Dunlap, the firm brings field-tested strategy from the highest-pressure environments into the boardroom, partnering with global organizations to build conflict competency at every level.
THE LEADERSHIP TEAM
RYAN
Dunlap
KEVIN
Martinez
ALLISON
Rolax
CHIAN
Vann
Founder &
Chief Conflict Officer
Conflict Strategist,
Programs Director
Client Engagement Coordinator
Client Success Specialist
FOUNDER
The Origin of Conflictish®
When Conflictish® founder Ryan Dunlap transitioned into executive leadership after years of investigative and hostage negotiation work, he expected to find the same discipline, clarity, and accountability in the boardroom he came to know in the interrogation room.
Instead, he observed that many leaders in exhibited the same behaviors in the board room that suspects did in the interrogation room. Under pressure, leaders were unable to maintain their composure. They were afraid to admit the things they weren't proud of, and afraid of being found out. The stakes looked different, but the fear underneath was the same, and it left even capable leaders more likely to fuel conflict than resolve it.
That key observation prompted Ryan to develop programs specifically designed to address conflict challenges for leaders. Not for the conflict happening around them, but the conflict that was happening inside them.
What started as a napkin idea in a Chattanooga, TN coffee shop in 2021 has grown into an internationally recognized conflict strategy firm. Today, Conflictish® partners with executive leaders and entrepreneurs across the world, helping them get their 'ish together, one conversation at a time.
