The Conversation You’re Avoiding Might Be the One That Changes Everything

Paradigm Shifting Books

In this episode, Stephen and Britain Covey dive into Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. This book completely changes the way we think about tough conversations.

We’re talking about those moments when tensions rise, opinions clash, and saying the wrong thing feels risky. Stephen and Britain unpack why we tend to avoid these talks, how the stories we tell ourselves can mess with our emotions, and why cutting down on lag time, the delay between noticing a problem and actually addressing it can make such a difference in both relationships and organizations.

You’ll also hear from Joseph Grenny himself, who joined the conversation to share how the lessons in Crucial Conversations show up in real life, from business to family to personal leadership. He explains what most people get wrong in high-stakes conversations and how to approach them with courage and clarity.

From business meetings to NFL locker rooms, this episode is packed with real-life examples that show just how powerful these tools can be. You’ll come away with practical ideas to reduce lag time, handle conflict better, stay calm under pressure, and communicate with more clarity and confidence.

Tune in, and get ready to change the way you handle your next tough conversation.

What We Discuss

• [00:00] Introduction to Paradigm Shifting Books
• [01:49] The impact of lag time
• [03:53] Consequences of avoiding conversations
• [06:50] Three stages of crucial conversations
• [12:11] Mastering your story
• [16:33] Moving past unhelpful stories
• [17:45] Defining success with purpose
• [20:30] The hedonic treadmill and lasting fulfillment
• [22:38] Paradigm shifts and key takeaways

Notable Quotes

• [01:52] “The health of relationships, the health of teams, even the health of entire organizations can be largely predicted by one simple thing, and that is the average lag time between when people see something and when they say something.” — Joseph Grenny
• [07:26] “Effective, crucial conversations aren't about some kind of esoteric diplomatic skills. It's not cobbling together the right combination of words to get past somebody's defenses. It really is about where you're coming from.” — Joseph Grenny
• [17:46] “The way to be successful is to make sure that you're defining success in purposeful terms, not just in terms of an exit and building an organization or rising to a certain place in an organization.” — Joseph Grenny

Resources

Paradigm Shifting Books

• Podcast
• Instagram
• YouTube

Books

• Crucial Conversations by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler
• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
• Start With Why by Simon Sinek

Joseph Grenny

• LinkedIn
• Website

Britain Covey

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Stephen H. Covey

• LinkedIn