First, we’ll explore Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann’s, Five Modes for Handling Conflict, and think about how they might relate to leadership. Rather than survey the mountain of literature available on the topic of conflict resolution, let’s focus for now on two things. For people organizing to create change, conflict sometimes needs to be resolved between allies, and of course, always needs to be addressed with adversaries. Every time you make a decision you are to some degree, resolving conflict. We may wish to abolish conflict, but we cannot get rid of diversity…Fear of difference is fear of life itself.” “What people often mean by getting rid of conflict is getting rid of diversity, and it is of utmost importance that these should not be considered the same. Author John Hamerlinck Posted on SeptemCategories Leadership, Values Tags emotional intelligence, existential intelligence, social intelligence, values 1 Comment on Three types of intelligence that will help you lead change Finding Opportunities in Conflict You may not spend countless hours contemplating existential questions, but whatever time you do spend will always be time well spent. (See the post, “Narrowing the Gap Between Our Ideal and Our Real Values”). People leave “successful” careers to work at making the world a better place. Thinking about life’s big questions can lead to people evaluating their values, and making changes in their lives in an effort to take responsibility for their actions based on those values. Pondering existential questions is often related to the desire to create social change. It involves thinking deeply about the big picture.
There is very little we can do alone.”Įxistential intelligence is all about bringing out the philosopher in you. We need people, we need the cooperation of others. With it…there is no limit to what person can do. In the words of the late American radio personality Earl Nightingale, “Getting along well with other people is still the world’s most needed skill. Healthy personal relationships are at the core of every level of positive change. Tactful consideration for others builds trust, and trust is priceless. They show discretion and thoughtfulness in their interactions with other people. Recognizing why those exchanges went poorly helps us learn from our mistakes. Sometimes our interpersonal interactions do not go well. We can’t fully cultivate social intelligence simply from educating ourselves. Unfortunately, we cannot anticipate every circumstance and event in life. Social intelligence is developed through experience. Take time to consider expressing clear, thoughtful responses rather than simply giving knee-jerk reactions. Be aware of the ways your emotions might be barriers to understanding complex situations.Understand that all criticism is not an invitation to fight.Understand the speaker’s point of view and ideas, even if you don’t agree with them.
Encourage the speaker to be open and honest.