A Leadership Toolkit: Harnessing Conflict for Team Growth

Conflict doesn’t have to derail your team; in fact, it can be a spark for stronger relationships and better outcomes.

By mastering conflict styles, you can turn every challenge into a chance to lead more effectively. Mastering conflict is particularly valuable in higher education, where fostering strong faculty relationships and balancing the often competing goals of academic integrity and administrative objectives are essential

In module 4 of Lessons In Leadership, Carrie Phillips, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, hones in on understanding conflict styles and their role in leadership. She unpacks the foundational theories behind conflict management, originally developed by Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilman, and discusses how leaders can leverage five key conflict styles to enhance relationships, communication, and team productivity. 

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Strategies for Effective Conflict Handling

• Assess Your Default Conflict Style: Take a moment to reflect on which conflict style feels most natural to you. Knowing your default style can improve self-awareness and guide you in choosing the best approach in each situation.
• Adapt Your Style to Suit the Situation: Practice flexibility by selecting a conflict style based on the context and goals. For example, consider collaborating on high-stakes projects and compromising on issues where quick progress is essential.
• Prioritize Relationships When Possible: Use accommodating and collaborating styles to strengthen relationships, especially in team settings where trust is essential. These approaches can build relationship capital and improve team dynamics over time.
• Proactively Manage Minor Conflicts: Avoid letting small issues grow into bigger problems by addressing them early with the appropriate style, such as avoiding when issues are truly minor, or compromising to reach quick solutions.
• Use the Conflict Styles Model to Guide Communication: Before addressing conflict, clarify the importance of the goal and the value of the relationship at stake. Using this model helps frame conversations with empathy and intention, ensuring everyone feels heard.
• Embrace Continuous Practice and Reflection: Conflict management is an evolving skill. Regularly assess past conflicts and reflect on whether a different style could have been more effective. This reflection builds confidence and prepares you for future situations.

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What Are the Different Conflict Styles?

Carrie introduces the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Resolution Model, a framework developed in the 1970s that identifies five distinct conflict styles: 

• Competing: Prioritizing your own goals over others; focused on "winning" the conflict.
• Collaborating: Working together to find a solution that satisfies everyone; aiming for a "win-win."
• Compromising: Finding a middle ground where each side gives up something to reach an agreement.
• Avoiding: Steering clear of the conflict altogether; not addressing the issue directly.
• Accommodating: Letting the other person have their way, often to preserve the relationship.

Each style offers a different approach based on what’s most important: the goal, the relationship, or keeping the peace.

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How Can Leaders Identify Their Conflict Style?

Carrie emphasizes the importance of self-awareness in leadership, urging listeners to reflect on their natural conflict preferences. 

Leaders often have a default style, which they may fall back on in high-stress situations. Recognizing this tendency helps leaders better understand their motivations and interactions. 

By taking time to analyze their approach, leaders can become more adaptable, choosing the conflict style that best suits the situation rather than relying solely on their instinctive response. This awareness enhances empathy, as leaders can more easily appreciate differing perspectives within their teams.

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When Should Leaders Use Different Conflict Styles?

Each conflict style has its strengths and is best suited to specific types of situations. For example, competing may be useful in time-sensitive decisions where one outcome is more beneficial while collaborating is ideal for projects requiring creative input and team buy-in. 

Compromising is effective for managing complex issues where both parties are equal and must give a little to move forward. Avoiding can be helpful when a conflict is minor or if more information is needed before making a decision. Accommodating, on the other hand, is beneficial when maintaining relationships takes precedence over the issue at hand, allowing leaders to yield to others when the stakes are low.

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What Are the Benefits and Limitations of the Conflict Styles Model?

Carrie highlights several advantages of using the conflict styles model. First, it gives leaders a structured approach to think through and manage conflict, encouraging proactive and intentional conflict resolution. The model also promotes better communication, allowing team members to understand each other's perspectives and motivations. However, the model is not without its limitations. 

Carrie points out that conflict in the workplace is often more complex than a simple diagram can capture, with underlying historical contexts and power dynamics at play. Additionally, the model places significant responsibility on the leader to accurately assess and implement the best conflict style, which can be challenging in real-world situations with nuanced group dynamics.

Understanding these limitations enables leaders to set more realistic expectations for conflict management, helping them stay adaptable and avoid unnecessary frustration when navigating complex personalities and dynamic situations. This perspective supports a more flexible, solution-focused approach to conflict, essential in the nuanced landscape of higher ed.

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How Does Flexibility in Conflict Styles Benefit Team Dynamics?

Flexibility is key to effective conflict management, Carrie explains. Leaders who can adapt their conflict style based on the unique context of each situation foster a more supportive environment, reducing the risk of conflict escalation. 

This flexibility also allows leaders to model adaptability for their team, showing that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. By intentionally using different conflict styles, leaders can improve communication, increase team synergy, and help team members feel heard and valued, ultimately boosting productivity and morale.

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Real-World Examples of Conflict Styles in Action

Carrie shares personal stories that illustrate how different conflict styles play out in a professional setting. She describes a time when a compromise seemed like a logical solution but ultimately left both parties unsatisfied. Think of a time in your career when something similar happened. 

She also discusses the consequences of leaders who avoid conflict, explaining how one of her former colleagues missed growth opportunities because previous managers failed to address underlying issues. These stories underscore the importance of choosing the right conflict style to suit the situation and balancing task priorities with relationship management.

Leaders who understand these nuances can better guide their teams through difficult situations, fostering a more harmonious and productive work environment.

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Ready for more? 

For higher education professionals, understanding conflict styles can be a game-changer in navigating the unique challenges of university environments. 

Whether working with faculty, students, or administrative teams, knowing when to apply a specific conflict style—such as collaborating on cross-departmental projects or accommodating to prioritize student needs—can enhance teamwork and communication. These skills are especially useful in higher ed, where diverse perspectives and competing priorities are common. By strategically choosing a conflict style that fits each situation, higher ed leaders can foster a culture of respect, reduce tensions, and drive meaningful progress toward institutional goals.

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Sign up now to access Carrie’s full Lessons in Leadership course and build your own leadership toolkit for navigating conflict in higher ed.

We’ve got loads of other leadership resources too, check out a couple of our favorites: 

• Leading with Grit and Grace: Women Mentorship, Community, and Advocacy
• Carrie’s Pulse Check Series: Learning From Leaders  
• Lessons In Leadership Guide

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