8 key leadership strengths you should focus on in 2024
5. Conflict resolution skills
Conflict occurs when two or more people’s interests are not in alignment with each other. It can also occur due to an individual’s biases, cultural beliefs, social status, and other factors determining which values they prioritize above the ones others might not.
Conflict is a inevitable part of any organization, whether it is between co-workers, managers and employees, or different departments within the company. While conflict can sometimes be beneficial, allowing for creativity and different perspectives to be brought to the table, it can also quickly escalate and become detrimental to the business.
Generally, conflict should not be considered good or bad, rather it may be viewed as a necessity to facilitate meaningful relationships between people and groups. The means and how the conflict is handled determine whether it is productive or debilitating. How you as a leader navigates the intricacies of conflict management determines whether or not the conflict escalates.
By being able to calmly and patiently listen to both sides, identify the root of the problem, and come up with a mutually acceptable solution, leaders play a pivotal role in preventing conflicts from spinning out of control.
Conflict resolution skills are the tools that help people handle different types of conflict, this typically involves a person leading a discussion to diffuse a situation. When doing so it is critical to maintain emotional control and lead the situation toward mediation, or compromise. Leaders who are able to deploy these skills maintain unified teams, ensuring that debate remains healthy and doesn’t turn into division.
In addition, by modelling positive conflict resolution skills, leaders can encourage their employees to do the same, creating a more harmonious workplace.
Here are some quick tips to help you develop conflict resolution skills:
- Be receptive
- Be candid
- Learn to listen
- Recognize and reward
- Be mindful of biases
- Allow everyone to share their position
Boost your conflict resolution skills with a leadership program »
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