Physics of Conflict from a Black Belt Engineer | Karen Valencic

What if mastering conflict could bring you more freedom, not friction? In this episode, Angela sits down with Karen Valencic—engineer, Aikido black belt, and author of Spiral Impact: The Power to Get It Done with Grace—to talk about why most of us misunderstand conflict and how to flip it into connection. Karen unpacks the difference between force and power, shares why confrontation is rarely the answer, and explains how a screw and a spiral can teach you more about leadership than a business degree ever will. From childhood survival roles to executive boardrooms, this conversation rewires how we think about tension, communication, and impact.Learn more about Karen Valencic at:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenvalencic/Website: https://www.karenvalencic.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@karenvalencic  @karenvalencic Podcast: https://valencic.substack.com,Book: www.amazon.com/dp/1946533831Substack: https://valencic.substack.comMentioned in this Episode: The Magic of Conflict by Thomas Crum: https://amzn.to/4m9YAQX Georgia Tech (Georgia Institute of Technology) https://www.gatech.edu/ Butler University (where Karen has mentored students) https://www.butler.edu/ Trine University (formerly Tri-State University) – Karen’s alma mater https://www.trine.edu/ “The person who has a mind to fight has broken their connection with the universe.” – Aikido philosophy (Morihei Ueshiba)“Power is rotational. Force is linear.” – Karen Valencic, explaining the Spiral vs. Hammer analogy“Tell me more.” – A core practice Karen recommends to shift from confrontation to connection“Conflict means to strike together.” – Latin root of conflict explained in Spiral ImpactProduced by: The AGN Group, Host: Angela Gill Nelms, Producer: Katie HartTagline: Be Brave. Be Badass.Websites: www.theagngroup.com and www.AngelaGillNelms.comAbout The AGN Group:At The AGN Group, we believe every individual, team, and company can unlock their inner badass, one brave step at a time. www.TheAGNGroup.com. @AngelaGillNelms  Social Media Channels:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badassleaderspodcast/Twitter: https://x.com/BALeadersPodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@baleaderspodLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/badass-leaders-podcast2Want to be a Podcast Guest?If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, email [email protected]