Ep 157: Conflict—GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft
Dec 12, 2024
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David Ashcraft, President and CEO of the Global Leadership Network, shares his insightful perspectives on navigating conflict, especially during the festive season. He discusses the value of addressing disagreements and engaging in difficult conversations, promoting healthy family dynamics. Ashcraft emphasizes the necessity of direct engagement and timely communication to prevent larger issues. He also highlights how conflict can be a catalyst for personal growth and leadership development, advocating for respectful dialogue and support for under-resourced leaders.
Effective conflict resolution during the holiday season requires leaders to engage proactively in difficult conversations for personal and relational growth.
Addressing conflicts promptly helps prevent escalation, emphasizing the significance of clear communication and the preference for in-person discussions over digital interactions.
Deep dives
Exploring Conflict During the Holidays
Addressing conflict during the holiday season is seen as particularly relevant, as this time of year often brings people together who may have differing viewpoints. Social gatherings can lead to disagreements, and recognizing this helps to contextualize the importance of learning how to engage in conflict healthily. The discussion aims to equip leaders with the necessary skills to approach difficult conversations constructively rather than avoiding them. This perspective highlights the opportunity to utilize conflict as a vehicle for growth and improved relationships.
The Importance of Keeping Short Accounts
Emphasizing the concept of keeping short accounts, the conversation stresses the necessity of addressing conflicts promptly before they escalate into larger issues. Allowing unresolved feelings to linger can make subsequent discussions more confrontational and less friendly, thereby complicating the resolution process. The analogy of a dental cavity illustrates that proactive engagement in conflict can prevent situations from becoming more serious over time. Seeking immediate clarification helps maintain open communication and ensures that issues are dealt with before they fester.
Different Approaches to Conflict
Individual approaches to conflict can vary significantly in different contexts, such as at home versus in a professional setting. The dialogue reveals the importance of being mindful about the timing and manner of addressing conflicts, including acknowledging personal tendencies to either avoid or dive too deeply into discussions. It highlights the value of in-person communication over electronic means to capture emotional nuances and foster better understanding. By recognizing these differences and adjusting accordingly, leaders can navigate conflicts more effectively and maintain healthy relationships.
Our topic for December is “conflict,” and GLN President and CEO gets us started with this conversation with Whitney Putnam. We invite you to listen as David shares how his approach to conflict has evolved and some of the practical lessons he’s learned over time. Conflict is inevitable, but it does not have to result in negative consequences; it can actually improve our relationships and our work together.
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