Dealing effectively with conflict is difficult for any leader. Some try to avoid conflict and wish it would just go away, while others tend to get angry and lash out at others in ways they later regret. Poorly managed conflict creates enormous costs in the form of wasted management time, high turnover, and lawsuits. How can leaders assess how they currently handle conflict and develop the skills they need to deal with conflict more effectively?
Becoming a Conflict Competent Leader combines research, conceptual models, practitioner experience, and stories that highlight the core conflict competencies. The book underscores the importance for leaders to develop the critical skills they need to help them, their colleagues, and their organizations deal more effectively with conflict and move their organizations forward.
The book describes assessments that can give leaders insight into how they currently approach conflict and offers suggestions for becoming a conflict competent leader. Becoming a Conflict Competent Leader also shows how to ensure that organizational structures support constructive approaches to conflict management and resolution.
Praise for Becoming a Conflict Competent Leader
"If workplace conflict is inevitable, becoming a conflict competent leader is one of the most valuable skill sets a leader can possess. Runde and Flanagan clearly lay out how destructive conflict can be prevented while fostering the kind of constructive debate and creative solutions which businesses need to thrive."
—Joanne McCree, former vice president, human resources, IBM
"A great book! It is full of actionable insights to turn your organization's conflict from a cost to an asset."
—Daniel Shapiro, Harvard Negotiation Project; coauthor, Beyond Reason: Using Emotions as You Negotiate
"Their ability to assimilate and describe what managers actually face in dealing with conflict is a key factor in making this book unique from others. No self-help manual on handling conflict that I've ever seen addresses the basics like this book."
—Kenneth Bradt, past president, Society of Consulting Psychologists
"Competency in managing conflict is perhaps the most under-recognized component of successful leadership. This book, once read, should remain on the shelf of every leader for handy reference."
—Dan Dana, Mediation Training Institute International; author, Managing Differences
—Michael Katos, The Katos Group LLC
"Our personal professional development is a constant pursuit in our quest to be the best we can possibly be. Dealing with conflict is a given in any leadership position. Becoming a Conflict Competent Leader serves as a great resource for any leader to better understand and manage conflict."
—MaryEllen Elia, superintendent, School District of Hillsborough County, Tampa, Florida
Becoming a Conflict Competent Leader