Here's how you can skillfully resolve conflicts in a Thought Leadership position.

Have a meaningful and unbiased conversation with both parties and listen to their perspectives. Listening is important as that's where most communications fail. When both parties feel that their views are respected, it opens the door to finding common ground or a solution. It is also important to explain and reason your views and perspectives to them to help convince them of an amicable solution.

Understanding all perspectives from the two conflicted parties is very important by remaining neutral as the thought Leader. It could happen that both perspectives are worth-while and these might complement each other and allow for synchronization or other times is a matter of alignment or contextualization within the environment of operation. Sometimes is about putting in weights to enable prioritization looking at the conflicted issues, and all parties must be made to understand all perspectives or point of views are appreciated, both highly prioritized or otherwise.

Communication and dialogue is key to ensuring that walls are not raised and point of view, context, content, intention is clearly shared. Most conflict rises from misinterpretation and misrepresentation. Often times, moderated conflict resolution helps expedite clarity. Since a third party may have the distant view and a detached approach to it

The best leaders are great listeners. Listen openly to what your audience is saying instead of missing their words while mentally preparing a response. Giving your full attention will make a lasting impression and give you new insights into what they truly think and feel about your leadership and ability to work through conflict. A few specific ways to say ‘I’m listening’: - Listen with your full senses - Mirror posture and movement - Take notes to show you are actively listening to understand - Repeat back what they are saying ‘I’m hearing that you are disappointed, am I getting that right?’ - Use empathy ‘I’m sorry you feel that way’ - Thank them. It takes courage to bring conflict to a conversation.

It may sound trite, but the first objective is always to research, listen and ask questions to understand the goals, hoped-for outcomes and actions already taken by the other parties who will be engaged in a dialogue. Why are the goals/positions/policies important to them/how does it impact the individual or group or their mission?

Focus on behaviors, not individuals. Remaining objective involves maintaining impartiality and focusing on factual analysis to guide discussions and decisions. It is crucial to separate personal biases and emotions from the situation, instead emphasizing evidence-based approaches and balanced reasoning. Objectivity also requires facilitating an environment where all parties feel heard and validated, ensuring that solutions are equitable and rooted in fairness. By adopting a neutral stance and using a structured framework to evaluate the issues, you can effectively mediate disputes and lead towards a resolution that is both just and sustainable, ultimately supporting the overall integrity and harmony of the organization or community.

Maintaining objectivity when defining and agreeing on a problem is the key focus area. A razor-sharp focus on collectively defining the problem with all conflict parties aids in gaining buy-in for solutions. Often, I observe individuals entering conflicts with pre-defined solutions, which can create further discord. Staying objective and focusing on agreeing on the problem statement is crucial in developing a sustainable solution with buy-in from all parties involved.

Almost all perspectives I have read, but I think somehow no one is going to talk about it. The main thing is when conflicts arise, people always go by self-respect and ego, and this is the main problem of increasing violence. There are always two sides to a coin. As a leader, you must recognize and understand the perspectives of all parties involved. By acknowledging and validating their feelings and viewpoints, a leader can help to reduce the intensity of a conflict a more constructive dialogue. This empathetic approach, combined with objectivity, can pave the way for more effective and lasting resolutions.

The data always needs to be the arbiter of debate. Data of course comes with its own biases in the collection, processing and analysis steps. But if we treat the data as the start and end point in the interpretation process this is often a better way than starting with an idea or point you want to prove.

As a thought leader, you carry perspectives from both sides of the faction. While you can lay down pros and cons objectively, it’s also important to build an atmosphere of mutual respect. Some tips to do that 1. Lay down ground rules that each opinion matters 2. Highlight the strong positives of each side and while admitting to the gap areas as well 3. Celebrate each sides effort in respecting the difference in opinion 💯 agreement may not be possible, however its important to identify space where communication and cooperation exists

Ground the conversation in the problem that is to be solved. Encourage experimentation, and where there is opportunity to allow individuals to explore and test their hypotheses, prioritize failing fast. Sometimes experience, effectively contained so as not to impact the business in a negative way, is the very best teacher. When folks experience things together, conceptual disagreements fall away.

I'm not sure I agree with this. Often out of conflict comes resolution. I think if you have opposing views debated and argued in the right spirit, and with the support of data, it can lead to a more meaningful outcome. Trying to find common ground as a goal in of itself can lead to group think and, in the context of thought leadership, a rather mediocre and fence sitting outcome that does not help your audience make better decisions in their roles.

Always give examples from your personal experience that gives more credibility on whatever you say. Also help people to understand your point of view.

A participatory approach does not mean you have to offer the solutions. On the contrary, the solution should be developed together, as a result of the dialogue that was established to find a common ground.

Promote dialogue that supports everyone in a team to have a voice. Sometimes what looks like a huge problem can be simplified, and solutions found from the smallest voice. Collaboration is team building and empowering

How about NOT offering solutions? I found that providing a space that is truly psychologically safe is much more conducive to a sustainable solution developed by the conflicting partied themselves than any „offered“ solution. More often than not, it is helpful to ask yourself as a mediator, or third party, what is my role - and am I falling in the trap of being the rescuer, which actually „rescues“ no one…

Absolutely not. If you have a position founded on evidence you should fight for it. Yes, you can consider other views and should always consider that you are not right but you should not propose 3-4 options to get one approved. This often happens in advertising, where an agency puts forward their preferred option alongside what they consider to be 1-2 inferior options. But the risk is the client chooses an inferior one and that risk can be high depending on the client corporate culture and a tendency to choose the 'safe' option.

1. Establish a Dialogue A) Initiate open communication to understand all viewpoints. B) Remain objective to prevent biases from clouding judgment. C) Identify common ground to build a foundation for resolution. 2. Propose Solutions A) Offer multiple options to give everyone a sense of agency. B) Encourage feedback to refine solutions based on group input. C) Adapt proposed solutions to meet collective needs. 3. Empower Through Participation A) Involve all parties in the decision-making process. B) Create a participatory approach to foster ownership. C) Ensure the resolution satisfies everyone involved.

Also ask each party what solution they think would be beneficial. It’s important to enable your team to become more solution focused and offering them an opportunity to propose a solution may assist their development. Just because you may know the answer, doesn’t mean that you have to be the only one to offer it. Be gracious and demonstrate how you empower your team to grow by encouraging them to find a resolution.

A best practice I have learned from and practice is to put myself in the shoes of others, listen actively to their perspective that may be at odds with mine without judging them and then engaging in meaningful dialogue based on facts and insights, not opinions and inspiring others. This has worked well for me in the past and is a paradigm that I continuous strive to hone and improve upon, in a spirit of humility and continuous learning.

As Mahatma Gandhi famous quote say "Be the change you want to see in the world" yes actions speaks louder than words. Lead by example and it is ok to make mistake as we all learn from our mistakes.

1. Demonstrate Empathy A) Show understanding and compassion towards all parties. B) Listen actively to all concerns and perspectives. C) Maintain patience throughout the conflict resolution process. 2. Exhibit Respect A) Treat everyone involved with dignity and respect. B) Avoid interrupting or dismissing any viewpoints. C) Foster a respectful environment to encourage open dialogue. 3. Set a Standard A) Lead by example to establish conflict management norms. B) Encourage others to follow the demonstrated behavior. C) Create a harmonious and collaborative environment.

As a thought leader, you are being watched in everything you do. The first step is to "model the way" for others. Whatever you wish them to do, you must provide an example for them to follow. And remember the 93 % principle in communication - only 7% of the perceived message is through words, the other is through your demeanor, body expressions, tone and how you set the context. Conflict is merely a facet of change. As a thought leader, help those involved determine what the success outcome is they are wanting to achieve. Then encourage the open exploration and voicing of alternative views, either through f2f or virtual communication. Set boundaries of "every idea is a possibility" and encourage all to work to collaborate to success.

Live the agreements you signed for. And do not forget for all parties to reconvine and reassess the agreement in a period of time. That way you can acknowledge and validate the improvements and the flaws in the execution of your agreements. Learn from them and continue moving on. Conflicts are a cycle. Make sure they are a positive cycle where you learn and improve the team and yourself.

1. Implement Agreed Solutions A) Execute the agreed-upon solutions promptly. B) Monitor the situation to ensure effective implementation. C) Address any issues that arise during the implementation. 2. Maintain Commitment A) Show dedication to resolving the conflict fully. B) Reassure all parties of your ongoing commitment. C) Build trust by consistently following through on promises. 3. Prevent Recurrence A) Monitor the environment to prevent future conflicts. B) Address underlying issues that may cause conflicts. C) Foster continuous communication and feedback loops.

If a conflict is a product of a firmly established routine, or a person's habit, it is imperative to VERIFY with all parties to ensure that the new path to success solutions are working for everyone. Decide upon casual check in's - a couple of days, 2 weeks, 1 month until the success solution is firmly established. As you leave the resolution session, gain agreement from all that if they are experiencing difficulty or challenged by an aspect of the solution path to speak up. It is preferable to sustain success and objectively inform what they are experiencing and ask for help.

It is the responsibility of a leader to ensure that all parties involved in a conflict take ownership of the agreed actions and solutions. The leader must guarantee that the solutions are practical and sustainable, and there must be follow up on the actions taken. A lack of clarity or follow-up can lead to the recurrence of the conflict and potentially affect the organization's culture.

Driving to a shared vision for success and securing commitment is half the battle and often the first milestone of the voyage. Following thru while holding other stakeholders and contributors accountable while breaking down barriers that arise is key to success.

I would add “listen to understand, not to respond”. Gather as much data from as wide and as deep as is possible, then trust your gut. If you’re wrong, you learn.

Can we get better questions LinkedIn? Not really sure how best to answer…patience. Keep your patience and persist through whatever perceived conflict…play the long game here.

It's useful to distinguish the "what" and the "how." Quite often the "what" will be agreed upon (e.g., the objective, main points, or...), but it's the "how" that is the point of contention. There is often more than one way (i.e., "how") to get to the "what."

One approach I've found effective is to recognise that the first step in resolving a problem is to acknowledge and agree that there is indeed a problem to be addressed. The problem and the solution must be aligned with the company strategy and the big picture.