Influencing and Conflict Management Style

Having the right Influencing and conflict management style for working environments is a key component that a leader should have. This week we are learning that leadership isn't all about the numbers or what's on paper, its about how you carry yourself and how you respond to on the spot situations. How you chose to respond will no doubt be how you are perceived as a leader to your subordinates. This perception will lead to how hard or easy it will be to get your workers to follow your lead.  

In a situation of conflict as a leader, I would use the active constructive perspective talking behavior as described in the Center for Creative Leadership: Calming Conflict Podcast. I believe that it's very important to find reasonable solutions to conflicts, instead of the fast most times inaccurate solution. Trying to understand why an individual is behaving a certain way, instead of instantly coming up with your own conclusion before speaking with them, shows a higher level of leadership in my eyes. I'm learning a lot from this constructive behavior because of my personal life. When in confrontations/debates whether friendly or not I tend to find myself fixated on proving the other person wrong, instead of listening to try and understand why they're saying what they're saying. As a future leader this is something that I need to work on, so that I maybe, I'm able to reach healthier relationship with future CO workers in any form as well as the people in my personal life.

How I would go about influencing subordinates would be first, by my actions. I believe that sometimes being first in line to tasks, allowing those that follow you to see that you don't mind getting dirty, brings a  certain workman's culture to the workplace. This I feel would make most workers want to work harder and do more. Another tactic that I would use to influence my workers would be the tactic discussed in chapter 7 for Durbin's text, which is empowerment. To empower someone is to give them a sense of greater responsibility and trust, which will sometimes motivate them to live up to expectations because they know their value has increased within the workplace. Although I believe this should be done in moderation, due to the fact that everyone doesn't respond well to extra work being thrown at them, as the chapter further reads. Some people want to just come to work and do only what they are required. I feel as a leader I would have to vet the workers personality before deciding if empowering them with more responsibility is a good idea.