Conflict and the Team

Source: Teacher's College Columbia University

If you are following our Friday "Leaving a Leadership Legacy" series, you know we are showcasing the leadership lessons of Sir Ernest Shackleton--a leader who, although not perfect, rose to the occasion to put the survival of his men above all else during the Endurance expedition to the South Pole.

Throughout the expedition, Shackleton did everything within his power to keep crew morale high and crew members engaged in healthy, day-to-day routines. However, there were members of the crew, including Thomas Orde-Lees, who were unruly and in constant conflict with other team members.

What value is there in conflict?

Healthy Conflict (Taken from Leading in the Wildand Fire Service, page 53)

Leaders create teams that engage in healthy conflict: enabling a dynamic exchange of ideas, the voicing of diverse viewpoints, and, ultimately, innovative solutions.

To enable healthy conflict to flourish, we focus on the what not the who. By concentrating on what should be done or considered instead of who is right, we help team members resolve issues more quickly and keep everyone's focus where it needs to be--on the team and its mission.

Additional Resources

• Conflict Can be Good
• Effectively Managing Team Conflict by Global Knowledge