4 steps for a leader to harness conflict.
Bram Connolly, DSM
Modern Leadership Theorist | Blending Practical Leadership with Academic Research | Founder of Hindsight | 3x Best-Selling Author
Many Leaders assume their roles revolve around keeping work harmonious, void of conflict. Keeping subordinates from experiencing friction at work becomes the major focus of their daily interactions. However, I can pinpoint the exact day I become an effective leader, as opposed to a leader who was trying to make everyone happy, and it was the day that I realised that the opposite was actually true. To be an effective leader you have to stop trying to bring a calm equilibrium back to the work place. To be an effective leader there’s the need to relish, harness, even encourage conflict.
Allow me to explain.
Diversity of thought in the workplace is vital if the business is to learn, grow and survive. A business that has employees who hold different assumptions, habits, backgrounds, beliefs (the list goes on and on) is a business that has the ability to innovate at scale and solve a much larger set of problems. For these businesses to thrive they need leaders who encourage contrasting points of view and who can foster competing perspectives. Drawing out and dealing with divisive issues, in a way that allows teams to fight the problems and not the personalities is the key to creating an environment where ideas flourish.
Don’t mistake healthy debate, that occurs in organisations who harness adaptive work, with the kind of insidious blame culture that occurs within sterile conflict. These couldn’t be further apart. A good leader can get the debate out in the open and assist the team in learning through collective solutions. A leader who can create dialogue, reframe complex issues into their component parts and focus disparate groups on seeking solutions is a leader who will navigate their team through difficult problems.
A good leader does this by;
- Building a collaboration culture,
- Showing them that their diversity is a strength,
- Helping team members to see the importance of consultation, and
- Being strong enough to make the final decision in the interests of the business.
I want to leave you with this....a leader must be able to make the last decision conscious that not everyone in a diverse team will be happy with the outcome. Telling someone that you value their opinion, truly listening to their contrasting views and taking these into account, and then making a final decision not in line with the outcome they are seeking is a skill that needs to be developed.
Bram Connolly DSM, is the founder and Managing Director of HINDSIGHT Leadership and Resilience, a consultancy which seeks to bring hard fought leadership lessons and team resilience techniques from the battlefield to the corporate sector.
www.hindsightleadership.com
CEO | Facilitator | Linkedin Top 20 Voice | 'Good People, Helping Good People' | The Eighth Mile Consulting | Veteran
4 年The highest performing teams have always had to deal and work through conflict. Avoiding conflict is not a long term strategy, as issues grow like a cancer. I particularly like the fact that you have mentioned that leaders make the right choice, not necessarily the popular choice. It is the strength of the relationships that enable people to have maturity to deal with it, without throwing their toys out of the cot. A great article mate! Some gems in this one
Retired at Home
4 年Harry Moffitt
Security manager, Advisor Intelligence-Based Security Services
4 年As a leader if someone as a better idea and understanding of the situation then listen to them and act on it? , after all intelligence n a situation comes in many forms and from many avenues?
Organisational Psychologist | Leadership Expert and Executive Coach | Certified Speaking Professional | Author | Helping Leaders become Luminaries to create the next generation of leaders
4 年Good thoughts Bram. When a team deals with conflict effectively, it unified rather than divides the team. A great leader sees this opportunity, creates an environment where this can take place, facilitates the process, and as you highlight, makes the final decision to move forward. It takes a decent level of personal security within the identity of the leader to pull this off. The best way to develop this I’ve found is help articulate the process (as you’ve done) so they have a plan, which gives them confidence as they implement.
Assistant Director - Lived Experience (Greater NSW) at Open Arms Veterans & Families Counselling
4 年Bram, your article is on point. Unfortunately what we do often see is that leaders are often neutered into not engaging in robust and passionate discussions due to not wanting to or having fallen foul of organisational policies surrounding bullying and harassment. Whilst I don’t subscribe to bullying or harassment in any context, I do believe in constructive concise and direct debate from all members of the team, of clear and authentic conversation, whilst respecting the authority parameters of the organisation. I also believe the most passionate are the most professional and have proven themselves most able in theatres of conflict at home and abroad. These people can value ad so mistakes or lessons of the past can be applied. Rather than taking personal offence we all need to eat some humble pie at times, shed our labels of authority and learn from others lived experience. I also agree that as a leader, the decision, and the final decision often rests with us after measured considerations are explored.