More Impact, More Easily

7System seven: Conflict

B‐Suite Leaders are in the firing line of most corporate conflicts — from the top down, bottom up and peer to peer. You will find opportunities for conflict everywhere you look. Similar to being a middle child, this conflict is less about you and more about where you sit in the bigger picture. But this does mean mastering constructive conflict is an essential tool.

Being ‘good’ at conflict does not mean becoming an aggressive and combative person. In fact, it's quite the opposite. It means you convert negative conflict into constructive conversations, and you regulate your reaction so you (and those around you) can have a conflict conversation with ease and impact. This chapter is all about taking the difficult out of difficult conversations.

ARGUMENT VERSUS DEBATE

When you think of conflict at work, you likely think about arguments. But what's the difference between a ‘good’ argument and a ‘bad’ one? When it comes to conflict, definitions do matter. A ‘good argument’ is typically seen as more of a debate — a formal, structured exchange of views with an agreed outcome expected at the end. You can win a debate. Arguments, on the other hand, are informal, can be heated and unproductive, and often spiral into a lack of logic. When logic is missing, no‐one can ‘win’ and the issues behind the argument remain unresolved — so there's no outcome, just bad feelings — hence, ‘bad’ arguments. The goal of this system is for you and your team to be able to debate ...