Disagreements happen. People and businesses underperform. Economic and business climates can change, seemingly overnight. Difficult decisions must be made. You can’t make everyone happy. Great leaders know this and embrace the mess rather than run from it. Here’s the thing with conflict avoidance – the more we try to run from it, the worse it will be when it finally catches up. (And it absolutely always catches up.)
Conflict avoidance often stems from a well-meaning desire to keep the peace. Leaders who shy away from difficult conversations hope to preserve relationships, but instead, they allow small issues to evolve into larger dysfunctions. Teams become fragmented, people continue to not show up in the ways they need to, communication erodes, and trust diminishes. The long-term effect is an underperforming and disengaged group of leaders and staff where excellence, innovation and accountability suffer.
“Permissive leadership”, an outgrowth of conflict avoidant leadership, creates an environment where poor performance and toxic behaviors go unchecked. Employees struggling with workload, interpersonal challenges, or organizational roadblocks are left to fend for themselves. Without clear guidance or intervention, frustration mounts, productivity declines, and high-performing employees may even choose to leave, seeking environments where leadership provides structure and support.
Effective leadership requires courage. Addressing conflicts head-on, setting clear expectations, and fostering open dialogue create a culture where employees feel safe, respected, and empowered. Leaders who proactively manage conflicts not only protect their organizations from dysfunction but also cultivate an energized and engaged team and a robust culture where people can thrive.
The choice, to me, is perfectly clear. Leaders can either embrace the discomfort of tough conversations or pay the difficult price of a disengaged, mediocre-performing and frustrated team. The professional, personal and business costs of avoidance are far too high to ignore. No one likes conflict. But it is a crucial part of life and business and leadership. Embrace its importance!
