Leadership and Conflict

Leadership is having the knowledge, skills and ability in motivating and influencing others to achieve results. Within any organization, there has to be leadership. Leadership is not found just among people in high level positions. Leadership is needed at all levels in an organization; however, any individual in a group can provide leadership. Change and inspiration is also components of leadership. Challenging employees to do things they do not want to do involve leadership.

Conflict or the potential for conflict will always be present in the organization. Conflict and leadership are parallel. When team members in the workplace are not getting along, productivity decreases. When productivity decreases, this is conflict. Resolving conflict comes with leadership. Conflict is not a bad thing but can be beneficial when identified and managed. If conflict is not managed properly, it leads to dysfunction and disaster. It can be very damaging.

Conflict is an inevitable aspect of the work team. Conflict can not be ignored. Managers want their employees to work as a team, therefore, managers need to know what steps to take in resolving, managing, and preventing conflict in a quick manner in order to build and maintain teamwork. Conflicts can be constructive as well. Conflicts are usually about issues within a team and not about individuals.

The four distinct skill sets, according to authors Craig Runde and Tim Flanagan (2006), required for a leader to be considered conflict competent are:

• Understanding the dynamics of conflict

• Understanding his or her own reactions to conflict;

• Fostering constructive responses to conflict (and reducing destructive responses); and

• Creating a conflict-competent organization (Runde & Flanagan, 2006)

Conflicts are usually the result of a general disagreement regarding interests or ideas. Conflict has a negative effect no matter how it begins, within oneself or between two or more people on the team. Historically,...