Conflict-Intelligent Leadership: Rescuing a World on Fire

In an era of extreme uncertainty, toxic polarization, and multifront crises, leaders of all stripes face conflicts that threaten to destabilize organizations and derail missions. This article offers conflict-intelligent leadership as a critical paradigm for navigating complex conflicts, and presents the RESCUE framework, an evidence-based model for conflict-intelligent leadership facing crises. Drawing on research in psychology, conflict resolution, complexity science, and wildfire ecology, the RESCUE model delineates six integrative phases of stewardship in crises: (R) Radical Clarity through self-awareness and anticipation; (E) Effective Communication and deep transparency; (S) Strategic Adaptivity and flexible decision-making; (C) Conflict-Safe Environments that leverage dissent; (U) Unified Structural Institutionalization with systematic learning; and (E) Enduring Resilience and growth outcomes. The article highlights how conflict-intelligent leadership is derived from sound theory and research, grounded in multilevel competencies (self, social, situational, structural, systemic), and realized through a set of practical principles, which are best implemented in crises through a coherent, emergency-response framework. Future research directions are proposed and implications are discussed for leadership development. By reframing conflict as a source of information and innovation rather than mere risk, the RESCUE framework offers a road map for leaders to “rescue” their organizations from destructive discord and catalyze sustainable resilience.