In running tough meetings, the most important person for us to influence is ourselves. In self-mastery lies true power. In this wise and stimulating book, Larry Dressler draws on his rich experience to show us how to bring our personal best to facilitating polarized group situations. I wish I had had it to read years ago!

-- William Ury, Co-author Getting to Yes and author, The Power of a Positive No

Practical, insightful, and filled with entertaining stories. I recommend this book for anyone working in the arena of public engagement and deliberation. Larry Dressler's insights and suggested practices offer us a way to overcome our personal challenges and become the leaders we aspire to be.

-- Sandy Hierbacher, Director, National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation

From the opening story this book is an invaluable companion for all those who train, facilitate, run and/or design high-stakes meetings Larry's well of wisdom is awe-inspiring.

-- Susan Scott, Author of the best selling books, Fierce Conversations, and Fierce Leadership More Endorsements

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From The Book:

• Foreword
• Introduction
• Table Of Contents

Free Resources:

• Grounding In Core Intention (PDF)
• Physical Centering (PDF)
• Reframing (PDF)
• Discussion Guide

Any time people get together to wrestle with serious issues, there is the potential for a high-heat meeting, one where participants become so polarized, angry, fearful, and confused that any meaningful work seems impossible. If you facilitate meetings for a living, you've probably found that your well-learned techniques often fail you in volatile and unpredictable situations like this. If you lead meetings as simply one part of your job, you doubtless feel even less able to cope.

The answer is not yet another technique — not something you do to people. Veteran facilitator Larry Dressler has learned the hard way that what makes the crucial difference is the leader's presence. You have to develop skills that allow you to remain steady, impartial, purposeful, compassionate, and good-humored. To work with people in high-heat meetings you have to work on yourself.

In Standing in the Fire Dressler outlines six "stances" — mental, emotional, and physical ways of being that will enable you to master yourself so you can remain firmly in service to the group. He offers dozens of simple but profound practices for cultivating these capabilities before, during, and after any meeting. Throughout the book Dressler draws not just on his own experiences — good and bad, humorous, and harrowing — but also on the insights of thirty-five distinguished leaders, process facilitators, trainers, and change agents, all with an eye to helping you stay relaxed and focused enough to make the kind of inventive, split-second decisions these pressure-cooker situations demand.

In meetings, as in the natural world, fire can be creative rather than destructive — but only if handled skillfully. Larry Dressler gives you everything you need to become a masterful fire tender.