Most people will go out of their way to avoid conflict. Great leaders don’t back away from conflict. They will put it to work for the advantage of the company.
Peter T. Coleman and Robert Ferguson noted that conflict in an organization is a lot like fire. It will ignite, intensify, spread and cause a great amount of damage. Mishandling conflict or ignoring it can be very costly for a company.
Coleman and Ferguson go on to say that if handled properly, “conflict can work for you and your organization. Constructive disagreements enhance creativity, encourage honesty, and lead to better problem solving. Great leaders know this and learn the skills it takes to make conflict work.”
While leaders cannot shy away from conflict, there are pitfalls they do need to avoid. These can be identified as:
Treating all conflicts the same
Ignoring power differences
Leaders abusing their power
Leaders neglecting their power
Misunderstanding power
Making conflict work to the greatest advantage is a skill that all leaders need to learn if they want to successfully grow their company.
We have the tools and training to develop the skills for dealing with conflict in your organization. We offer both Everything DiSC® Productive Conflict and The Five Behaviors Of A Cohesive Team®, to help you effectively use conflict to your company’s advantage.
Patricia Darke, RCC™ Owner and Founder of Darke & Associates, Authorized Partner of PXT Select™, Everything DiSC™, The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team™ is the author of DNA Professional Leadership Development Program™.Contact her at pdarke@darkeassociates.com or 612.866.0692