Stop ‘Managing’ Conflict. Start Using It.
From Avoiding Conflict to Embracing It: A New Way to Lead Your Team
Here’s the solution to all your workplace problems and team conflicts! 🪄✨ (Or so you were told...)
The “5 Cs” of conflict resolution:
Clear communication. Calmness. Clarification. Collaboration. Compromise.
Sound familiar? Probably from an expensive executive course where they handed you a fancy-looking printout and a team roleplay exercise on “difficult conversations.”
Great in theory. But in practice? Works maybe in the boardroom, but what about on board? In maritime, have you tried it and implemented it? How did that go?
You tried it. You really did. You opened up. You communicated calmly. You clarified. You compromised. You collaborated...
And then? Your team looked at you sideways, suspicious of this sudden new leadership style. I mean, isn't it a bit startling when your otherwise introverted, grumpy and overworked manager all of a sudden starts to communicate? These changes take time!
You got busy again. And the 5 Cs? Quietly forgotten in the whirl of Monday mornings and overflowing inboxes. Back to self and back to normal! But the company can tick off the course of the list. No one can accuse us of not having the best in mind for our employees' welfare and to tackle conflict in the team, right?
Let’s be honest: conflict isn’t solved with a template. Because people aren't templates.
Time to scrap the old beliefs of conflict and leadership
True, empathetic, human-centred, or kind leadership takes more time. It’s not a plug-and-play. It’s messy. Emotional. Sometimes uncomfortable.
But it works. Not just in the moment, but in the long term.
Because when empathy becomes your leadership culture, something interesting happens:
Conflict doesn't need to be feared.
People speak up before resentment builds.
Boundaries are respected.
Safety is psychological, not performative.
Teams thrive. Not survive.
And let’s not forget the results leaders like to hear: Lower staff turnover. Lower operational costs. Better client relationships. A stronger reputation. Yes, we can prove this!
Is team conflict really so bad?
We’ve been taught that conflict is something to avoid. Keep it quiet. Stay polite. Walk on eggshells.
But here’s the truth: Conflict is also energy. It’s a conversation with pressure.
Nothing is so stifling and killing for creativity as working in a team where everyone avoids having an opinion because they are afraid of conflict!
And if you don’t steer it? It builds up. And what builds up… eventually blows up.
In maritime, aviation, healthcare, you name it, unspoken tension leads to real human risks. That’s not dramatic. That’s just Human Factors. Let the reports speak for themselves.
Let’s rebrand conflict, shall we?
How about we stop pretending it’s bad and start teaching people how to steer it well? Because conflict is unavoidable, we are human, and conflict will arise when we have a difference of opinion, feel pressured, or feel belittled in a discussion. Conflict is human. I believe with the right tools and understanding, we can learn how to handle it better.
Let’s rebrand conflict:
Clearing the air - Honouring different opinions - Challenging blind spots - Setting healthy boundaries
Now that is the kind of team culture where people feel safe, heard, and energised.
So I ask you:
Are you ready to move beyond tick-box empathy and conflict workshops?
Are you willing to lead in a way that’s human, honest, and yes, a bit braver?
Because the work culture you build now? It is the one people will feel for years to come.
What is your take on conflict? Let me know!
