Leaders worth following respect individual differences while helping team members avoid becoming entrenched in myopic positions of “self.” Leaders of high caliber consistently exercise the following principles of high support and high challenge:

Ensure Relationship is the First Priority — Make sure that others are treated with fairness while building mutual respect. Be courteous to one-another and remain constructive under pressure.
Keep People and Problems Separate — Recognize that in many cases, the other person is not just “being difficult.” Real and valid differences can lie behind conflictive positions. By separating the problem from the person, real issues can be debated without damaging working relationships.
Engage in the Interests Presented — By listening empathically, healthy leaders can likely understand why others are choosing their positions.
Pull Before Push- To solve a problem effectively secure leaders must understand where the other person is coming from before defending one’s own position.
Set the Facts — Agree and establish the objective, observable elements that will have an impact on the decision.
Seek Common Ground — Be open to the idea that a third position may exist, and might possibly lead to a jointly celebrated “win/win.”

By following these principles of empowerment and opportunity, leaders keep contentious discussions positive and constructive. Effective conflict management is emblematic of a leader worthy of following and a key measure in the secret sauce of healthy organizational culture.

#GiANTworlwide #leadership #principle #relationship #mutual #bond #interest #priority