Introduction
The path to a successful organization begins with the leader’s position in fear of conflict. Conflict management is distinctive to successful leaders and is also the most crucial aspect compared to other sets of qualities and skills that they hold. Effective leadership necessitates leaders to think about their role in the emergence of a conflict. From such a standpoint, they develop a strong perception of the burden that lies in the leadership situation. Leaders who slack in conflict management find it hard to overcome the arising pressure, and the organization’s success could be highly compromised in such an occurrence. Conflicts may make it difficult for leaders who lack effective resolution and management tactics to support continued growth and development.
The Role of Leaders
Leaders should be ready to encounter conflicts and perceive them as crucial elements for resolving challenges. In workplace settings where the leader, employees, supervisors, clients, and other stakeholders are free to articulate their opinions, conflict may arise at any given time. Different happenings may trigger conflicts in an organization. Sometimes leaders’ feedback may fail to get adhered to as they had hoped. In other instances, there could be resistance to change, rivalry, or power incongruities among workers. Since conflict is a component of human nature, effective leaders should endeavor to prevent its occurrence in the workplace or resolve it amicably. Leaders’ natural inclinations and how they are hardwired might sway their perspectives concerning conflict management.
Leaders who are naturally exceedingly obliging might want to always safeguard their public image. However, they might often lead to the avoidance of significant and helpful discussions that have the likelihood of improving organizational performance. Similarly, highly assertive leaders might embark on a direct approach which can ignite conflicts that have the potential of causing the collapse of the organization. There is a need for leaders to always be cautious in whichever approach they take. Nonetheless, it is impossible to avoid conflicts all the time, and they will often happen. Although conflicts may negatively influence organizational performance, how leaders tackle them has the biggest impact on organizational success.
Conflicts that are ignored will not easily disappear. If left unresolved, conflicts may develop into a problem that is impossible to resolve. Therefore, leaders should seek to address arising challenges effectively for continued serenity within the organization. Unsettled disagreements may make workers’ morale and productivity decrease hence reducing the overall performance of the organization. Leaders should be trained to address conflicts while enhancing transformations and developments within organizations. They should have the capacity to underscore the pursuit of objectives while motivating employees to perform excellently.
Leaders’ fear of conflict may make them fail to act promptly, resulting in the postponement of vital decisions and overlooking serious realities. Fear of conflicts may also cause employees and teams to lose esteem in their leader for lack of proper guidance. This is because leaders’ desire to be liked by all without destroying their reputation may be extremely strong to the point of paralyzing their thinking. Additionally, fear of conflicts may make leaders fail to articulate a dissenting view, which may eventually inhibit organizational growth. Leaders have unparalleled accountability in how conflicts are tackled or left unaddressed. If leaders do not confront conflicts decisively, they could frustrate employees and destroy their confidence in the leadership.
Leaders’ fear of conflict may destroy effective communication channels within the organization. For example, it could lead to the failure to rectify problems that arise amongst employees and teams. This might make workers feel less obliged to approach leaders whenever something goes wrong. Additionally, if leaders are scared to provide constructive guidance to individual employees or teams, they could negatively influence their confidence in the organization resulting in increased turnover. Leaders should offer regular feedback, whether pleasant or distasteful so that workers can successfully recognize their strengths and identify where they should improve.
Conflict Resolution
Leaders should not fear conflicts because they are bound to arise in any circumstance, whether between workers or within groups. Attributable to the broad scope of differences among employees within an organization, the nonoccurrence of conflicts might indicate a lack of meaningful interactions. Leaders should perceive conflicts as aspects that assist in the generation of meaningful relations between workers and teams. Irrespective of conflicts having the potential to result in the collapse of an organization, they could generate remarkable opportunities. How leaders handle the conflict establishes whether its effects will be productive or distressing.
Leaders should develop successful strategies for tackling disagreements in the workplace. Ignorance and unsuccessful tactics only worsen arising conflicts when applied. Effective leaders should learn to interpret occurrences precisely and react promptly and assertively. They should promote workforce diversity and encourage dissent views to be articulated and heard. Leaders should build employees’ confidence in them by establishing an influential voice and approach to managing conflicts. They should show firm leadership by identifying employees’ mistakes and helping them improve on their weaknesses.
Successful management skills should equip leaders with the capacity to communicate effectively while providing them the confidence to address arising problems with ease. Leaders should hold face-to-face meetings with employees who oppose change endeavors or whose opinions differ from the management’s perspective. Such discussions will enable them to reach a consensus and remain motivated towards attaining organizational goals. Leaders should be mindful of the fact that if any worker is not happy with the approach taken, it may negatively influence their welfare, motivation, and productivity. They should respect each employee’s decision and convince them to stay focused on the objectives of the organization.
Conclusion
The route to a successful organization commences with the leader’s approach to fear of conflict. Effective leadership requires leaders to think around their role in the emergence of a disagreement. Conflicts are bound to arise at any time in an organization. They may make it problematic for leaders who lack effective resolution and management strategies to support sustained growth and development. Leaders should be prepared to encounter conflicts and perceive them as vital foundations for resolving challenges. They should respect each worker’s decision and persuade them to stay fixated on the objectives of the organization.