U.S. companies spend more than $160 billion a year on leadership development. The global number exceeds $366 billion. That buys a lot of workshops, executive retreats, and 360-degree assessments. And yet, Development Dimensions International's (DDI) 2024 assessment of more than 70,000 manager candidates found that 49 percent cannot demonstrate effective conflict management skills. Only 12 percent showed high proficiency. That's not a "people problem." That's a skills gap on a