3 steps to calmly and patiently settle team disputes

Being indifferent doesn't mean you don't care about what's going on, but instead you've done the hard work of discerning what's truly important and what you can let go, writes Steve Keating. Create this new mindset by setting clear priorities, learning to detach from external events, spending time in self-reflection and embracing change instead of trying to control things around you, Keating advises.

Put it into practice: Create a healthy sense of indifference by using mindfulness, meditation and other practices to tame your emotions and create systems to simplify decision-making, Keating writes. "The smaller, less impactful a decision is on your life, the faster you should make it."

When conflict arises in your team, take time to listen to all sides impartially to understand the root of the disagreement fully, then investigate to verify their claims and encourage all parties to be patient as you work to resolve the dispute, writes Skip Prichard. "Sometimes, stepping back and taking a break can help. This allows everyone to cool down and approach the problem with a clear mind," Prichard recommends.

Put it into practice: Show empathy to both sides of a disagreement, but remain impartial and do your due diligence to verify the facts and circumstances before rendering a decision or suggesting a solution, Prichard advises. "This ensures you're making decisions based on complete information."

If you have a weak leader who isn't suited for their job but you can't replace them right away, offer them a mentor or coach to shore up their weaknesses, offload some of their tasks to others and refocus their job to play to their strengths, suggests Liz Kislik. "It's better to invest more time in their decisions and processes up front rather than cleaning up their messes afterward," Kislik notes.

Put it into practice: Don't just hope a lagging leader improves; be proactive by providing clarity around their role and even partnering with them to accomplish their tasks, Kislik recommends. "As much as you can, leave no room for error."

Registered dietitian Gillian Culbertson calls sole water, the latest fad that involves drinking dissolved Himalayan pink salt in water daily, "counterproductive," saying typically lowering salt intake and getting essential vitamins and minerals from whole foods is "the best way to care for your health." The claims that sole water contains healthful minerals are overstated, Culbertson says, since "we're talking about very tiny amounts of minerals."

During your next plane trip, you may want to pass on the fresh coffee or tea when the flight attendant comes by and opt for anything in a can, according to former flight attendant and TikTok influencer Kat Kamalani, who contends that water tanks and lines are rarely properly cleaned out. However, several airline mechanics posting on a Reddit thread say the water systems are cleaned regularly, and Vance Hilderman, currently the CEO of aviation development company AFuzion, says water on planes is heated to a temperature that kills bacteria. For those who want to play it safe, though, there's always airport coffee before and after your flight.

A summary on June 6 about the role of teaching in leadership should have referred to psychologist Howard Gardner. SmartBrief regrets the error.

In our world where everything seems urgent and worth having your hair on fire over, Steve Keating has some sage advice: Be indifferent. That doesn't mean you check out or you're no longer concerned about the essential things. It means that you've done inner discernment and outer work enough to know what is truly important (even urgent) and what is not.

Instead of allowing every little thing to set off your emotions, Keating recommends using mindfulness and other techniques to bring your feelings under control so you're not exhausted by the relentless pace of information these days.

"If you give all the silliness in the world the opportunity, it will eventually wear you down to the point where you can no longer focus on the important things," Keating writes.

It's easier said than done,  but start small, not letting someone in traffic get the best of you or letting go of feelings of disappointment when it rains on a day you planned an outside event. As you practice detaching from things that usually roil your emotions slowly but surely, you'll arrive at a point where you can easily judge what's worth your time and what's not.

If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or send this link.

What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? Drop me a note. And don't forget to send me photos of your pets, your office and where you spend your time off.