It's Tuesday at 2:00pm! (PST Time: I live and work from Southern California)
Currently, I'm exploring different leadership quotes on this blog post, and pulling out some application for all of us. This is part of my personal journey to keep growing, learning and being stretched! Join me each Tuesday at 2:00pm (PST). It will take you just a few minutes to read through the 2 sections of this post, but don't miss the final section where I share some of the things I'm reading, listening to and enjoying this week.
Russ
LEADERSHIP QUOTE:
"When there is trust, conflict becomes nothing but the pursuit of truth, an attempt to find the best possible answer." Patrick Lencioni
What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.
A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:
I used to avoid conflict.
I assumed that if there was conflict, then something was wrong. Why would people who work together ever disagree?
Much to my amazement, early in my career I found conflict everywhere and there weren't many models where conflict was managed well.
What's your personal experience with conflict? Do you run from it and avoid it or do you embrace it?
I've learned over the years to not say "if conflict comes", but I say, "when conflict comes" because it ALWAYS comes.
Lencioni focuses on organizational health, and the idea of building trust is the foundation of this, and it helps leaders and teams manage things at a whole new level.
Think about a time you FAILED in your management of conflict. What did you learn from that experience? How have you changed as a result of that?
DEEPER STILL:
Early in my leadership, I had someone teach me about healthy conflict. There was a situation where a colleague and I disagreed. We worked well together, we had established trust, but there was some conflict.
I remember wanting to run and hide and just hope it would go away, but this co-worker showed me how to embrace it head on. He called me on it, we navigated it, we fixed it, and we moved on.
Our trust for each other deepened, and we continued working together for years to come, and yes, there was more conflict, but as Lencioni's quote says, IT MADE US BETTER AND OUR ORGANIZATION BETTER.
We both just wanted TRUTH. We wanted what was best and I learned that even though I'm the leader, I'm not always right.
Conflict, when managed and engaged by people who are seeking the best outcome, is a powerful tool that helps organizations thrive.
Conflict, when avoided, ignored and dismissed, has the potential to destroy trust and will drive people away from an organization and a leader.
Think about a time you experienced HEALTHY CONFLICT: What was the result? How did you feel going through it and then on the other side?
Things I'm Reading, Listening To and Watching This Week:
Qué Viva Quito! Happy Quito Day in Ecuador! You may not know that I spent about 22 years of my life in this glorious city! Here's a great travel video from Quito.
Lencioni's complete work is best found in The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything.
If I'm going to recommend ONE Lencioni Book to start with, it would have to be The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. This booked challenged me and changed me as a leader!
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This week I've been listening to The Bangles Essentials on Apple. This girlband of the 80's has some iconic songs!