Conflict: The Shadow Side of Leadership

The March session of the 2025 Sauk County Institute of Leadership (SCIL) was spent in Baraboo, WI.  The day began with Sheriff Chip Meister welcoming us to the Sauk County Law Enforcement Center.  The Sheriff praised his colleagues and described how they function as a team to achieve their goal to enforce the law with integrity, fairness and respect. 

Sheriff Chip passed the torch to Jail Administrator, Captain Nicole Schlough. Captain Schlough shared her leadership journey which includes responsibility for nearly 200 people including both staff and inmates. Captain Schlough inspired the group with her passion for leading a high-performing team. Her leadership values are grounded on trust and clear communications.  Her dedication to the well-being of the people she leads was evident in her successes.  

The remainder of the session was hosted by Synergy Metalworks in Baraboo. There the group debriefed their experiences attending a local government meeting. While some experienced more conflict than others, a theme that emerged was if you are willing to listen and find shared values, improvements can be accomplished. Morgan McArthur, UW-Madison Extension Sauk County educator, encouraged the SCIL class to get involved in local government as a way to contribute to our communities in a meaningful way. 

Baraboo Mayor Rob Nelson sat down with the group next.  A man of many hats, Mayor Rob also owns a local business, has ridden his recumbent bicycle across the continent and trains service dogs!  These unique experiences contribute to Mayor Rob’s ability to work with people in a calm, respectful and productive manner.  Mayor Rob shared how he values transparency and works through challenges by keeping people informed.

Conservation heroes Curt Meine and Mike Mossman told the story of their 30 year history with the transformation of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant Property(BAAP). They had to work with the state and federal government, local and tribal communities, various agencies and local farmers to get the former BAAP property to where it is today. Many stories of resilience, healing, and progress went into the “Restoring the Sauk Prairie.” Some ideas that resonated with the group: there can be no shared vision without shared values, there’s a difference between consensus and compromise, and the importance of being able to lead from behind and from below.

We ended the day with Morgan McArthur and Jeff Hoffman (recently retired from UW-Extension) who led us through an interactive session titled “The Rub of Conflict Can Result in Soreness or Strength.”  They explained styles of conflict and the group practiced resolving conflict using coaching, mentoring, and mediation while working to reflect on personal biases and how they impact us.  The ‘Power of the Pause’ was again a theme as the ‘Ladder of Inference’ was discussed and how perceptions can easily misguide us.

Leadership is a journey of growth, and the 2025 SCIL cohort appreciates our community support on our journey.  

Written by Diedre Kannenberg and Ben Gruber