Got a little bit of a tough love episode for y’all today, and in my opinion, if you find yourself experiencing this one thing, you’re a bottom 50% coach or leader: defensiveness. Defensiveness is a toxic blind spot. It’s a self-protective mechanism but it redirects blame and hinders conflict resolution while obstructing personal growth. Self-esteem can be fragile and confidence is often paradoxical, but if you’re looking bot the antidote to defensiveness, accepting responsibility and fostering genuine dialogue and collaboration is a great place to start. Disagreeing with your clients, partners, or anyone you have a personal relationship with is like a dance, if you can find common ground and maintain neutrality, you can break free from the destructive cycle of defensiveness.