What do you do if your leadership style is too assertive for conflict resolution?

When your leadership style is perceived as too authoritarian in conflict management, it is critical to evaluate its effect on the work environment. Listen to your team's perspectives, develop and cultivate empathy, communicate clearly, and adjust your communication methods to promote a more collaborative and effective problem-solving environment.

Assertiveness is a fundamental asset for clear communication and conflict resolution. However, being too assertive can be misconstrued as being too amiable or on the other hand, being closed to differing perspectives. It is imperative to be logical with good reasoning, focusing on the points of discussion and views rather than getting person centric. Unconscious biases can play truant here since one May attack the person rather than sticking to the opinion. Hence it is advised that the person in question is able to clearly state facts and reasons for the perspective with a win-win mindset and genuine interests of the organisation or the cohort at hand.

Assertiveness is indeed a valuable skill in leadership, but it must be balanced with awareness. As leaders, the more power and knowledge we possess, the easier it can be to cross the line from assertive to aggressive. The key is to remain mindful of the impact our words and actions have on others. This awareness helps in moderating our approach, ensuring that assertiveness doesn't overshadow the need for empathy and effective conflict resolution. It's about finding that sweet spot where you stand firm yet stay open to dialogue

I traversed the journey of being "assertive" manager to a "consensus" building leader over a period of time. In my initial professional days I used to be aggressive & assertive - bordering rash. I started realizing that being overly assertive means, I don't get other people's views and the communication becomes one sided. I needed to make the outcome collaborative, I needed stakeholders on my side. I started listening more intently, started budgeting time to influence people without being assertive.

Adopt a more collaborative approach to conflict resolution, prioritizing active listening and empathy to understand underlying concerns. Encourage open dialogue and invite input from all parties involved. Practice patience and flexibility in seeking mutually beneficial solutions. Offer constructive feedback and recognize diverse perspectives to foster understanding and cooperation. Develop conflict resolution skills through training and self-reflection, aiming for a balanced leadership style that promotes harmony and productivity within the team.

You may be acting (rather than being) assertive because of the necessities of the particular situation, thinkin it like good cop-bad cop. Then what you need to do is to get feedback about both parties from your good cop(s) and evaluate the situation according to the outcomes.

In my career, I have found it helpful to ask for feedback. Even when it is hard to hear. Sometimes constructive feedback can really be the best thing to help guide to better resolution to future scenarios. Leadership is about more than just giving directions but being open to hearing from your team.

A nivel profesional, cuando buscas la retroalimentación honesta de tus colegas sobre tu liderazgo y enfoque para resolver conflictos, muestras un compromiso con el crecimiento personal y profesional. Esto conlleva a requerir una apertura para escuchar verdades incómodas, pero te brindará una perspectiva valiosa sobre cómo se percibe tu asertividad. Usa esta información como una herramienta para mejorar y ajustar tu enfoque según el contexto, de manera que tu liderazgo sea más efectivo en la resolución de conflictos.

Regularly ask for feedback on your leadership style from trusted colleagues or mentors. This can provide insights into how you can improve and adapt your approach.

It’s important to remember that as a leader you are responsible for the people that deliver. No longer are you responsible for the delivery itself. Seek feedback and adjust what can be adjusted to create a space for excellence. Support top performers and understand under performers. Prepare to improve over time after seeking feedback.

Being flexible in your leadership approach is crucial, especially in managing conflicts. True assertiveness is about adapting your style to fit the situation. Sometimes this means stepping back to listen and consider different perspectives. Balancing firmness with openness to compromise is key. This adaptability can prevent conflicts from escalating and promotes more effective, harmonious resolutions. Developing such flexibility in your leadership style enhances team dynamics and problem-solving effectiveness.

This segment is the most important in this discussion... Leadership is not solid it's liquid, it's the ability to adapt/be flexible to any situation...being open to others' perspectives... opinions. It's not about the Role it's about the Goal of achieving the greater good/Objectives through their unified efforts by wearing different hats, to not impose but to inspire action in the team in the right direction...

Flexibility Advantage: Read the Room: Not all conflicts require the same approach. Gauge the situation and adjust your accordingly. Active Listening is Key: listen actively to all perspectives, and acknowledge everyone's concerns. Embrace Collaboration: Frame conflicts as problems to solve together, fostering buy-in for solutions. Develop Flexibility by self-Awareness: Reflect on past conflicts. Seek Feedback: Ask your team for honest feedback on your conflict resolution style. Benefits of Flexibility: People feel valued when their voices are heard, leading to more engagement. Diverse perspectives often lead to better solutions. Flexible conflict resolution builds trust and fosters a more collaborative team environment.

Según mi experiencia, el ser flexible en tu estilo de liderazgo es clave para resolver conflictos de manera efectiva. Muchos confunden la rigidez con la asertividad, sino que esto puede ajustarse según la situación. Significa saber cuándo retroceder, escuchar y considerar otras perspectivas.

Be open to changing your approach based on the situation and the people involved. Different conflicts may require different levels of assertiveness or gentleness.

Try to understand and relate to the emotions and perspectives of others. This can create a more inclusive and supportive environment conducive to resolving conflicts.

You’ve got to know all areas of your department. You must understand what it takes to get the work done. Not all the details but enough to feel the perspective of team members who are delivering for you. Listening is critical, and action is necessary to support and grow a successful department.

Integrating emotional intelligence into your leadership repertoire significantly enhances conflict resolution. The fusion of assertiveness with a deep-seated empathy allows you to not only discern the root causes of disputes but also navigate them with a nuanced understanding of each party's feelings and viewpoints. This empathetic assertiveness encourages a dialogue-based approach, where acknowledging and validating the perspectives of others paves the way for more inclusive and effective solutions. Leveraging empathy in this way doesn't necessitate agreement with each perspective but involves respecting them as legitimate inputs in a collective problem-solving process.

Being assertive is absolutely fine. Complimenting with empathy is even better where you try to understand the challenge or issue from other perspective and the emotions behind that. This will help to be on the same page and try to address the conflict together.

1. Communicate openly and calmly. When tensions are high, try to have a respectful dialogue. Avoid getting defensive or matching the assertive tone. Speak in a level, measured way. 2. Seek to understand their perspective. Ask questions to get clarity on why they are taking such an assertive approach. There may be valid reasons or concerns driving their behavior. 3. Propose alternative solutions. Rather than just pushing back, offer compromises or other ways to resolve the conflict. 4. Appeal to their desire for effective outcomes. Emphasize that a less confrontational approach is more likely to lead to a mutually agreeable solution that works for everyone. 5. Document the process. Keep a record of conversations and proposed solutions.

Unlike being trapped in a bad marriage, employees can easily engineer a quick divorce with a problematic leader. With AI, it's getting even quicker. A question leaders can ask themselves is: Do I attract or repel talent? If it's the former, max out what keeps them coming toward you. If it's the latter, stop doing what's pushing them away. It also can be helpful if you let others know you're working to get better. All leaders have weaknesses. Admit them and try to go fix them. It's the ones who never admit weakness - avoid them.

"Klar kommunizieren" ist eine unklare, weil unpr?zise Anforderung! Klare Kommunikation ist eine strukturierte Kommunikation, die inhaltlich pr?zise Informationen enth?lt und somit weder Missverst?ndnisse, noch nachteilige Emotionen erzeugt! Ein Beispiel: Verlangt der Chirurg am OP-Tisch ein Skalpell, dann wissen alle im OP-Team genau, was jetzt gefragt ist. Verlangt der Chirurg von seinem OP-Team mehr Unterstützung, dann wei? niemand im Team, was jetzt gefragt ist. Vielmehr wird die Hilfsbereitschaft im Team durch diese unpr?zise, unklare Kommunikation blockiert. Professionelle Business-Kommunikation erfordert keine speziellen Pers?nlichkeitsmerkmale - sondern Pr?zision!

It's true, top to bottom & bottom to top communication is the key to influence the outcome... Your intentions of wanting to resolve should be understood through your speech & your actions... Ultimately you have to build Trust...for assertiveness to be seen a part of your strategy to push for a positive outcome.

Una comunicación clara y efectiva ante cualquier resolución de problemas, debe ser un conjunto de elementos por parte del líder como por ejemplo; el tono de voz, tener una actitud mediadora, mantener siempre la calma para mantener un ambiente que llegue a una resolución asertiva.

In my views : Clearly communicate your expectations for behavior and performance, both individually and as a team. This sets a foundation for understanding and can prevent conflicts from arising. By incorporating these communication strategies into your leadership approach, you can help mitigate the negative effects of assertiveness on conflict resolution and foster a more collaborative and productive work environment.

One of the strategies to adopt could be to follow a solution-oriented approach. Instead of assigning blame, focus on finding solutions. Collaborate with the involved parties to identify common ground and work toward mutually beneficial outcomes. Remember that the goal is to resolve the issue, not prove who is right.

I have learned from Herta Von Stiegel that, “Leadership is influence.” Therefore, if your leadership is not producing the desired result (inspiring others to succeed, an harmonious and healthy environment, productivity) adapt your strategies. It is imperative that we as leaders in our field be cognisant that our purpose is to influence those around us to be the best version of themselves. If too many colleagues are demotivated, feeling devalued, depleted in well-being because of your conflict resolution strategies? Action needed + adapt strategies= change now.

My views : If leadership style tends to be too assertive for conflict resolution, adapting strategies can definitely help. Consider * incorporating active listening, empathy, and collaboration techniques into your approach. Being open to feedback and adjusting your style based on the situation and the individuals involved can also foster more effective conflict resolution.

As a leader, you need to be flexible with your approach on how you lead team . All strategies have a thin line which makes it called by a different name. Does not matter where assertive or not, you need to reassess your approach

If you can recognise that your style is too assertive for conflict resolution, you need to step back and reconcile the situation with support from someone else - your manager or another colleague. Being too assertive means that you won't see or accept another point of view clearly and this nature could make you be perceived as borderline aggressive too. The fact that you recognised it is a good start to rethink how to, how much and where to control and manage yourself better. As a leader seeing different POVs is very important so course correction is best for the future.

Get a good Executive Coach or a seasoned Inclusive Leadership Coach. Leaders need safe spaces to learn and grow. This is often underrated by many.

Seek support from coaches or colleagues to understand the best approach and who should take the conversation forward. There can sometimes be pressure to handle conflict yourself, but a true leader recognises when they may not be best placed to resolve it and seeks out ways to improve for the future