MindShifting (Volume 3*):
Conflict and Collaboration
MindShifting: Conflict and Collaboration is Mitch Weisburgh’s follow-up to MindShifting: Stop Your Brain from Sabotaging Your Happiness and Success. While the first book focused on mastering your own mindset, this second volume explores how to navigate and transform conflict in relationships, teams, and society at large.
Conflict is unavoidable. We compete for jobs, argue about values, clash with coworkers, and disagree with loved ones. Too often, our brains’ “survival mind” reacts in ways that escalate tension—fight, flight, freeze, or blame. This book reveals how we can instead shift into a Sage Mindset, where curiosity, empathy, and collaboration drive our actions.
Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, motivational interviewing, nonviolent communication, and organizational research, Mitch presents a practical toolkit to turn conflict into opportunity. The central message: conflict doesn’t have to divide us; it can become a pathway to growth, stronger relationships, and shared progress.
*Yes...this is the 2nd book Mitch will have published by it is actually 'Volume 3' in the ultimate series. Mitch's 3rd book - expected Spring 2026 - will be 'Volume 2." #justgowithit. ; )
COMING
November
2025!
Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1:
Why Are So Many People Wrong?
Explores how our brains make quick, binary judgments driven by the limbic system (“survival mind”), often creating unnecessary conflicts. Introduces the Sage Mind as an alternative—resourceful, curious, and open to multiple perspectives. This sets the foundation for moving from destructive conflict to collaboration.
Chapter 2:
Managing Our Reactions and Emotions
Identifies common triggers for anger and defensive behavior. Explains why our instinctive responses (arguing, advising, resisting) usually backfire. Provides tools to calm ourselves, regulate emotions, and prime conversations for constructive outcomes.
Chapter 3
Styles of Conflict Resolution
Outlines the five conflict resolution styles—Competing, Accommodating, Avoiding, Compromising, and Collaborating. Explains when each is useful, their strengths and limitations, and how to become more flexible in shifting between them.
Chapter 4:
Escalation vs. Resolution
Dives deeper into how different conflict styles influence whether disagreements spiral into escalation or transform into resolution. Shows how reframing and intentional choice of style can convert divisive conflicts into opportunities for collaboration.
Chapter 5:
Motivational Interviewing
Introduces Motivational Interviewing (MI) as a powerful tool for influencing others’ thinking and behavior. Breaks down why MI works, its best practices, and pitfalls to avoid. Emphasizes guiding others to their own insights rather than convincing or pushing.
Chapter 6:
Stress and Conflict
Explores how stress amplifies conflict. Differentiates between acute stress and chronic stress and their effects on communication. Provides strategies to recognize stress signals, lower tension, and foster environments where constructive dialogue can occur.
Chapter 7:
Difficult Conversations & Nonviolent Conversations
Teaches the four-step framework of NVC (observations, feelings, needs, and requests). Integrates it with earlier techniques to help readers manage hard conversations calmly and constructively, improvising like a jazz musician who can adapt fluidly in the moment.
Chapter 8:
Groups,
Pressure,
and Influence
Examines the role of group dynamics in fueling conflict—peer pressure, conformity, and in-group/out-group thinking. Provides methods to recognize, resist, and redirect negative group influences, and to build collaborative group cultures.
High-Level Takeaways
Conflict is natural—but escalation is optional.
Our instinctive brain responses push us toward fight/flight reactions, but we can choose collaboration instead
The Sage Mindset unlocks better outcomes.
Curiosity, empathy, innovation, navigation, and focused action are superpowers that shift conflict into growth.
Flexibility is key.
No one conflict style works everywhere; successful collaboration comes from adapting to the situation and the people involved.
Flexibility is key.
No one conflict style works everywhere; successful collaboration comes from adapting to the situation and the people involved.
Influence comes through guidance, not persuasion.
Motivational Interviewing and NVC show us how to create space for others to find their own path forward.
Stress management is central to collaboration.
Recognizing and reducing stress—for ourselves and others—makes constructive dialogue possible.