Ryan Reynolds says learning conflict resolution changed his life and how he approaches business

Conflict resolution is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of leadership lessons, but it does for Ryan Reynolds.

Conflict resolution has changed the life of the actor.

He said at Indeed's FutureWorks conference that he thinks we have an instinct to win, crush, and kill. "If you can disengage or disarm that instinct for a second, and instead replace it with seeking to learn about somebody, that's a leadership quality for me, at least, that has changed every aspect of my life."

Reynolds said he learned about conflict resolution after attending a workshop in his 20s.

I wanted to make something better. He said he wanted to improve. I didn't expect it to change my life, but it did, and I applied those principles in business in a different way.

Reynolds is the owner of Mint Mobile and Maximum Effort. Two years later, he sold the brand for an estimated $610 million.

He bought a soccer team in England with another actor.

If I'm empathizing, I'll be an ally even if it doesn't happen in the moment. It's not possible to address problems with other people unless you understand them.