Conflict specialists as leaders: Revisiting the role of the conflict specialist from a leadership perspective

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore the cross fertilization between the emerging fields of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and leadership. The first section explores similarities in themes and characteristics of both disciplines that are influenced by the zeitgeist. The second section argues that the parallels between the disciplines challenge and call for further exploration of the conflict specialist's role. The third section offers a reading into skills emphasized in leadership scholarship not commonly stressed in ADR trainings, examining how conflict specialists can ameliorate their practice by incorporating a leadership mind-set and additional relevant skills into their work.The underlying nature of the problem we face lies in our own selfidentity-how we view who we are as a field and what it is that we have to offer to people. We are victims of our own overly narrow view of ourselves and what it is we bring to conflict.

Conflict Resolution in the Workplace: What Will the Future Bring?

“…In this regard, one of the goals of many leaders is to strengthen their conflict competence, a term that Runde and Flanagan () described in their book, Becoming a Conflict Competent Leader: How You and Your Organization Can Manage Conflict Effectively : “Conflict competence is the ability to develop and use cognitive, emotional, and behavioral skills that enhance productive outcomes of conflict while reducing the likelihood of escalation of harm” (Runde and Flanagan , 8). Other commentators and scholars have similarly acknowledged the importance of leaders engaging effectively in conflict (Cloke and Goldsmith ; Gerzon ; Heifetz, Grashow, and Linsky ; Kuttner ).…”

Can absent leadership be positive in team conflicts?

“…Of these different leadership behaviors, the moral features of paternalistic leadership could have important implications for perceptions of a leader's conflict avoidance. In contrast to the view of leaders in the West, who are expected to be exceptional individuals or heroes who lead the way, make key decisions, and energize subordinates (Kuttner, 2011), moral paternalistic leadership places a leader in a more humble position that is centered on others.…”

“…About four decades ago, Burns (1978) stated that conflicts offer managers the opportunity to display leadership, as managers can exploit conflicts to improve both relationships and efficiency at work. The "conflict-specialist-as-leader" theory has a prominent role in shaping leadership dynamics (Kuttner, 2011), and therefore, conflict management research could inform our understanding of effective leadership (Chen et al, 2005;Tjosvold, 2008). However, until now the relevance of leaders' conflict avoidance to leadership remains uncharted territory.…”

Does ethnic conflict impede or enable employee innovation behavior?

“…A collaborative approach is both proactive and participative in that it is characterized by a sharing of problems with concerned parties so that the problems can be resolved together. This form of participative, shared or collaborative approach to both leadership and conflict management is where the current trend of leadership appears to be moving (Kuttner, 2011). A collaborative or integrative approach to conflict management has been found to promote innovation (Chen et al, 2005(Chen et al, , 2012.…”