Author Priya Parker argues that we need to fight smarter and more often if we want to get along and get ahead. There’s a certain inevitable logic to following up a book about hosting meaningful gatherings with a book about interpersonal conflict. Yet Parker, an independent facilitator and strategic adviser to corporations, nonprofits, and political organizations, initially shrank from the prospect. "I am a conflict-averse conflict resolution facilitator," Parker, 43, admitted. "I think that’s why I’m effective. I have deep empathy for the people in the room who also want to flee."

The daughter of an anthropologist and a hydrologist, Parker was born in Zimbabwe and moved to the U.S. at age 4. Her parents’ divorce was a formative lesson in the importance of navigating conflict. "People were shocked when they separated because they never fought," she said. "I learned from a young age that there is great loss in avoidance."

After earning degrees from Harvard’s Kennedy School and M.I.T. Sloan, Parker set up her own practice—the person organizations call in after a blowup. Her first book, "The Art of Gathering," came out in 2018, but her new book, "The Art of Fighting," out on Sept. 8, lands at a fitting time. With Americans polarized, Parker hopes to give tools to fight well.

During summer 2020, she saw many groups implode over cultural issues. She notes, "An artful fighter is somebody who has deep group intelligence. Who can hold healthy heat and help people, including themselves, articulate their opinions and not have a culture of blowback for stating..."