The last thing any CEO wants is to have her office turned into WWE’s “Raw.” Inspiration for Embracing Healthy ConflictĪpple founder Steve Jobs is a classic example of a CEO who embraced company conflict. While everyone hopes mature adults would conduct themselves appropriately in the workplace, it’s hard to expect everyone to have the same type of conflict-resolution methods. If there is no opportunity for healthy debate, a huge blowout at some point is likely. When you don’t embrace conflict, you risk losing some of your best talent and fostering an atmosphere that shuns healthy, open debate in the workplace: Any time a talented employee disagrees with co-workers who might not be as well-versed in certain subjects, it usually ends badly.īut having a mediator sort through valid points and potential misguided sentiments helps lead to more respectful conversations. Those who embrace conflict often lead their companies to become more innovative and productive. But if a CEO fails to step in and evaluate the conflict, chances are more time will be spent dealing with the fallout, especially when no one has stepped into the role of referee. Some stay away because conflict is time-consuming, and CEOs have no time to waste on the gossip and bickering that can accompany workplace conflict. Why CEOs Should Embrace ConflictĪlthough conflict can be healthy, many CEOs shy away from it. The conflicting views ended up producing better results, more attention to the small details, and a continuous dialogue that made the process flow more smoothly. Not too long ago, we experienced a conflict between our creative department and our developers about how to proceed with a project that would take a lot of time, resources, and deep thinking to be executed efficiently. This is something I have witnessed firsthand. But new research by Eli Lilly and Company shows that this type of conflict can increase the probability of technical and commercial success - as long as the conflict is of the productive variety.

Most CEOs have witnessed employees becoming irritated or running into problems with a co-worker.

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