Are you embracing or avoiding conflict?
All leaders like to keep things running smoothly, but are you conflict-avoidant? This short test will tell you whether it’s time to turn tension into opportunity....
Brain Circuits
Are you choosing the right battles to fight?
Leaders face multiple challenges in managing relationships every day – but fighting every battle can drain energy and disrupt the organization. Ask yourself the questions below to assess whether you’re tackling the right issues, and explore techniques to help choose which decisions are worth challenging.
What battles are you fighting?
- Do you take up causes on behalf of other people that no one else has the courage to fight for?
- Do you take up every problem or complaint that people raise with you?
- Do you often respond angrily to events that impact the people you manage?
- Are you known as the voice of dissent within the organization?
Techniques to help choose your battles
Breathe
When faced with a dilemma or asked to intervene on behalf of your team or a colleague, take three deep breaths before speaking or reacting. This will give you the chance to pause, think, and become calm before choosing an appropriate response.
Take time out
When confronted by a problem or an issue that you find upsetting in some way, ask for some time to go away and digest the information. This will give you the space to reflect on the issue before deciding how to react – or whether to react at all.
Consult the checklist
Go through the following set of questions before responding to the situation. Doing this not only helps you figure out your response, but also obliges you to marshal more cognitive (and less emotional or visceral) processes to keep knee-jerk reactions in check.
- What do I stand to gain and what do I risk in responding to this situation?
- How much might I risk damaging relationships with those who might be against me?
- Why has this person asked me to intervene, and what could they do themselves that they are not doing now?
- Do I have a chance of winning this fight? If not, is it worth what I’m risking?
Key learning
As a leader, it’s important to know which battles are worth fighting — and when it’s wiser to stay out of the fray and maintain stability.
Authors
Related
How to get mentoring right
Unlock the secrets to mentoring excellence by understanding how to match participants, prepare them well, and support ongoing relationship development...
Are you caught in the insider trap?
Are you caught in the insider trap? Learn to identify signs of leadership stagnation and explore effective ways to reset your approach for sustained success....
Stop developing an obsolete AI strategy. Part 1: Project risk
AI poses dual threats to organizations. Here’s how to manage the negative consequences that can arise from your own implementation of AI....
Learn Brain Circuits
Join us for daily exercises focusing on issues from team building to developing an actionable sustainability plan to personal development. Go on - they only take five minutes.
Explore Leadership
What makes a great leader? Do you need charisma? How do you inspire your team? Our experts offer actionable insights through first-person narratives, behind-the-scenes interviews and The Help Desk.
Join Membership
Log in here to join in the conversation with the I by IMD community. Your subscription grants you access to the quarterly magazine plus daily articles, videos, podcasts and learning exercises.