Recently I posted about reasons #1 & #2 why leaders want to lean into conflict. You can catch up here. Today, let’s address reason #3.
Reason #3: The Impact of Humility
Micah 6:8 say, “…what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”
Humility is one of the greatest attributes of a leader. And the right response to conflict has a way of accentuating our humility (or lack thereof).
There are two essentials to humility… Honesty & Empathy.
Leaders have to be willing to identify with the frustration of the team member (empathy), and sincerely speak to the challenges the frustration causes (honesty) before you can help them see the value of moving toward a solution.
As a leader, I can help someone move beyond conflict toward solution simply by identifying with what they are feeling.
How many times to people simply want to be heard?
Humility is stopping long enough to listen before offering a solution. Humility is the ability to simply say, “I’m really sorry. I know that’s frustrating.”
The moments that I leap from problem to solution, I don’t get very far unless I get the other person to leap with me. I get them to leap with me when I pause, listen, & identify. 9 times out of 10, when someone feels they’ve been heard, they’re more willing to drop their offense and embrace a solution.
Three reasons why leaders would choose to lean into conflict rather than avoid it…
Reason #1: The Value of Conflict
Reason #2: Conflict Hinders Collaboration
Reason #3: The Impact of Humility
Tomorrow I’ll share 4 Steps to Successfully work through Conflict.
