What are the top leadership skills? There are really quite a few skills we’d like to cover, so this video is the first of a bi-monthly series on this topic. The first skill I wanted to focus on is how to navigate relationships in the workplace or conflict resolution.

Conflict resolution is not a topic that most people are eager to discuss. However, fundamentally, it is one of the most important things you can learn how to do and learn how to be effective at. This is because everything is team-oriented today. We rarely see business environments that don’t have people somehow involved in a team. Plus, it’s a management skill; how do you create teams that are effective, efficient, and that have good communication?

“Everything is team-oriented today.”

Patrick Lencioni’s book “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” helped me significantly in learning and mastering this particular leadership skill and I recommend it highly for anyone who is interested. The process of conflict resolution is:

1. Identify the problem and decide what the end goal will be and why that outcome will be beneficial.

2. Craft your language with an objective third party.

3. Have a meeting with the person you have a concern with. Be straightforward with the issue right away.

4. Compliment the person on their good aspects to diffuse any kind of defensiveness they may have as you discuss the issue.

5. Move on to what your concern is, what your end goal is, and why that would be beneficial to both that person and the team as a whole.

6. Ask for feedback.

It sounds simple, but you need to practice this tactic. It is fundamental to not only leadership within a group, but also how effectively you can manage and navigate relationships as you progress to management.

In our next video, we’ll talk more about leadership skills. If you have any questions about this or any other topic we’ve covered, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d be happy to help!