RAISING YOUR EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT (EQ)
Get Uncomfortable and Grow!
A discussion on handling dysfunction as a leader
By Vaughn Troyer
My natural instinct is to avoid conflict. I, like many others, may see conflict as a negative and undesirable aspect of some relationships. Perhaps I fear that it will damage a relationship, create stress, or, worst case, escalate into violence.
However, conflict can also be a source of learning, growth, and innovation. In his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni argues that a leader must be willing to have conflict to lead effectively and overcome the dysfunctions that plague many teams.
I have come to understand that one of my primary roles as a leader is to identify and address the dysfunctions that exist around me. Dysfunction has many symptoms, all of which have negative results. Rather than create a long list of dysfunctions, suffice it to say that if your team is not thriving, then you must ask yourself, “What around me is not right and why?” It generally doesn’t take long to create a short list of issues. To resolve these, the leader must be willing to have conflict, both with the team members and with oneself.
Personally, I must fight against the tendency to not address the issues, to avoid the conflict; and I justify my avoidance with excuses or unlikely hopes. The excuses never fix the issue; rather, the problem lingers and lingers until it reaches a point where I am forced to act.
Rather than procrastinating, let’s lean into the idea that the conflict necessary to address dysfunction will help us learn, grow, and improve. A leader avoiding addressing a dysfunctional situation is a dysfunction of the leader itself.
- Mine for conflict: The leader must be able to provoke and facilitate constructive conflict among the team members. The leader must be willing to ask tough questions, challenge assumptions, and bring to light disagreements.
- Model trust: The leader must be the first to demonstrate vulnerability, honesty, and humility. The leader must be willing to admit when he or she does not know something, makes a mistake, or needs help. This sets the tone for the team and encourages trust.
- Confront difficult issues: The leader must be able to hold the team members accountable for their performance and behavior. The leader must be willing to give and receive feedback, address problems, and enforce consequences.
I encourage you to have the courage to hold the difficult conversation needed to address something that isn’t quit right, the dysfunction. Be on the lookout for issues of poor communication, strained relationships, or poor performance and ask, “what is causing this?”. Then be willing to improve the situation by addressing it. It takes effort, but the improved results and effectiveness of your team are worth it. Lead, identify, and address the dysfunctional.
