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!
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?