Emily here. For the past two semesters, I’ve been part of the Highlands College Leadership Institute, and I’ll admit, I’ve often felt like an imposter. Leadership hasn’t always come naturally to me, and conflict? I tend to avoid it. But here’s the twist: leaning into that discomfort has sparked unexpected growth. What if understanding your own personality—and others’—could completely change how you handle conflict? I’ve been exploring this in my leadership journey, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned about turning conflict into a powerful tool for collaboration. Want to know how? Keep reading!
At Horizon Point, we’ve guided many managers and navigated our own leadership journeys. Success in management isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about building relationships, self-awareness, and continuous learning. We often share practical tips with new managers, things we wish we knew when we started. Here are five that we find particularly valuable.
Context matters. When conflict erupts at work, it’s easy to focus on the outburst, not the circumstances that led to it. Take my friend’s brother—suspended without pay for lashing out after being undermined. What his boss didn’t consider? He had just lost his mother and had a child in the hospital.
As leaders, we must create space for employees to navigate stress, not just react to their missteps. Using an empowerment-based model like SBAR—situation, background, analysis, recommendations—can help de-escalate conflict and build stronger teams. How do you handle workplace conflict?
Welcome to the March 2025 Leadership Development Carnival! Horizon Point is excited to host the carnival this month, featuring posts from leadership experts from around the globe on the topics of communication, development, engagement, motivation, productivity, team building, and more. The Framework for Organizational Excellence by John Spence Excellence isn’t accidental—it’s built with purpose. My new Organizational Excellence Framework brings together the key elements of success: purpose, culture, strategy, innovation, and simplicity. Read to see how it all comes together. How To Build a Better Relationship with Your Difficult (Icy) Boss by Karin Hurt You know the type: the difficult
The terms manager and leader often get used interchangeably, but should they? “Leading versus managing” is a common search phrase. At HPC, we don’t really think it’s a “versus” situation. You can be a good manager without being a great leader, but you can’t be a great leader without strong management skills. So, what’s distinct about them, and why does it matter? Let’s break it down. You Manage Time and Tasks Management primarily involves managing things that largely impact people, but it does not seek to influence people like leadership does. It’s hard to lead others well if you can