Tag: leadership development

What’s In a Name?

Credit: Google Images

Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering. – Theodore Roosevelt

I read a story of a local sportscaster doing radio coverage of an Indiana high school football game from the stands, who used a chart listing the names, numbers, and positions of the players to help him describe the action.

Then it began to rain, and the ink on the chart ran, and the numbers on the backs of the players were covered with mud. Identifying the home team was easy, but the only familiar name on the lineup of the visiting Chicago team was that of Blansky, a linebacker who was up for All-State.

As local listeners were unfamiliar with the Chicago players, and his station’s signal wasn’t strong enough to reach Chicago, the sportscaster invented the names of the Chicago players, except for Blansky. And since he was the only legitimate name, he played by play with Blansky, making most of the tackles.

The next day, the Chicago coach called him to say he had done a really nice job covering the game – except for one thing. Blansky had broken his leg in the first half and spent the second half in the hospital, listening to himself playing one heck of a game. 

Dale Carnegie stated, “A person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language”. Nothing could be truer. 

A few years back, I was on a tour at Harvard University. I learned that before new students moved into the dorms, the resident assistants were required to study the information packets about them and memorize their names and faces, so when a new student walked in, they would be able to greet them by name.

Over the years, I haven’t always been good with names, but I do make a conscious effort to learn and remember names. As a leader, I recognize that this is an important area that requires my attention and improvement.  Since it hasn’t always been my strong suit, I find ways to associate names with the individuals I meet in order to remember it.

In your leadership, nothing means more to your people than the mention of their name. Here are a couple of reasons why it matters.

It demonstrates value

If a person’s name spoken is truly the sweetest and most important sound to another person, then why now honor them by greeting them by name? I also try to make it a practice not just to greet them by name, but to do so by saying “There you are!” with a degree of enthusiasm that lets them know that I am genuinely delighted to see them. 

The most valuable possession another person has is their name. When you treat it as such, you are perhaps honoring a family name with a story you need to get to know. You are honoring the memory of a loved one or family heritage. So much lies beneath the surface of a name. Be intentional about using a person’s name. It matters more than you realize. Click To Tweet

It breaks down barriers

In my business, I make it a practice to know and remember the names of everyone I come in contact with. As the owner and administrator of a microschool with 70 students and staff, I begin my day by working the car line each morning and greeting each student. I learn their names, give high-fives, pats on the back, and make each student feel special. Each staff member, of course, is greeted by name, and I insist they address me by my name without the formalities.

I have discovered that this breaks down barriers and makes everyone around me know that I am approachable. When I am approachable, it breaks down barriers to good communication. Try it.

Whose name are you dropping today?

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

What Suits Your Giving?

Credit: Google Images

Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out. – Frank A. Clark

The story goes that one day, a beggar by the roadside asked Alexander the Great for alms as he passed by. The man was poor and wretched and had no claim upon the ruler, no right even to lift a solicitous hand.

Yet the Emperor threw in several gold coins. A courtier was astonished at his generosity and commented, “Sir, copper coins would adequately meet the beggar’s need. Why give him gold?” Alexander responded in royal fashion, “Copper coins would suit the beggar’s need, but gold coins suit Alexander’s giving.” 

This story is a simple yet powerful lesson in generosity, and it also serves as a valuable reminder for leaders to take to heart. 

I read recently that for the first time, we have five generations in the workforce. This means that needs, priorities, and sources of meaning vary. Generosity becomes even more important because you cannot achieve everything on your own. We must acknowledge that generosity is essential as we work with and empower others.

How different might things look in your organization if generosity became the norm, and the desire to see others succeed was the key source of motivation? Is this even attainable? 

Call me naive, but when leaders embrace an attitude of generosity, it can and it will create shifts within the culture. Are you ready to embrace it? What approach should leaders take? Here are a few suggestions.

Raise expectations

Often, it’s not a question of resources that leads to selfishness in the workplace, thus resulting in a lack of generosity; instead, it’s a lack of defined expectations. When generosity becomes the expectation, it frees people up to be more generous.

Raised expectations throughout the organization set the standard for your people individually and collectively. With generous expectations, generous results will follow.

Clarify the mission

Raising expectations is just the beginning of the shift that is necessary in your organization if you are going to be generous. Righting the ship away from a stingy, silo-driven culture toward a generous and compelling one will require clarity of task and mission.

As a leader, the shift begins with you. You must know the direction the team needs to move toward and what it will take to get there. 

Lead by example

Leading the way as a generous leader is not just about shallow platitudes. It’s more than just a kind word at the start of the day.

Generosity is a cultural mindset that:

  • Gives more than what’s expected
  • Understands that the success of the organization matters more than my individual success
  • Will share whatever resources I have freely 
  • Holds myself to a higher standard
  • Will empower others to do what they do best without my interference
  • Realizes that it’s not about me

When these attitudes become the driving force of your generosity, it will be the catalyst for the type of change you desire. 

When considering what suits your giving, are you giving to others according to what you think your team needs, or out of a higher standard of giving that is abundantly generous?

©2025 Doug Dickerson

Are You Blocking Progress?

Bull Moose blocking the trail in the Adirondacks.
Courtesy: AP News

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. – George Bernard Shaw

In case you missed it, there’s a story about a bull moose that has spent the better part of the summer lingering around a popular Adirondack mountain hiking trail, prompting New York state wildlife officials to close the path as they monitor the potentially ailing animal.

The moose is staying on or around the trail near the summit, sometimes sitting and sometimes foraging in a small area, according to the Department of Environmental Services.

Attempts to coax the moose from the trail have failed. The agency has said an “underlying illness influencing behavior” was suspected. Wildlife staff were recently able to get close enough to observe the moose’s behavior, but did not find any obvious signs of disease.

Hopefully, the moose will make a recovery, but its location on the trail is a mystery for officials and a disappointment to those who would like to complete the hike up to the summit of the Goodman Mountain Trail.

The moose is representative of those in your organization who stand (or sit) in the way of progress. Others are attempting to move forward, but there is a hurdle that is impeding progress. So, what does that look like in your workplace? Let’s examine a few possibilities.

Progress is blocked by those with the settlers’ mentality

Within your organization, there may be those with a settlers’ mentality. Chances are, these are people who have been around in your organization for a good number of years. Perhaps they’ve enjoyed a fair amount of success and have risen through the ranks. But now they are settling. Maybe they simply want to run out the clock until they retire.

The settlers’ mentality is hard to overcome because they are set in their ways, and the change they once embraced is now the change they resist. 

While their contributions and service need to be honored, a settlers’ mentality will only block present and future progress. Others can’t proceed and climb to new heights so long as the settler is blocking the path.

Progress is blocked by silos and territorial disputes

For the leader, navigating silos and territorial disputes is a major headache. According to The Workplace Institute, 32% of conflicts occur between management levels, and conflicts among senior leadership and executives account for 20% of all reported incidents. Approximately 22% of conflicts occur between line managers and their direct reports. 88% of respondents in the survey report observing poor morale among employees affected by conflict.

While it should go without saying that everyone strives for the same goals and outcomes, conflict within organizations blocks the path to success. When leaders in management have to devote more time to conflict resolution, it hinders the team's ability to succeed. Click To TweetSilos and territorial disputes are the proverbial bull moose on the trail, and they’re harming everyone.

Progress is blocked by negative attitudes and apathy

Nothing will poison the culture of your organization quicker than negative attitudes coupled with apathy. When you combine a negative attitude with a lack of buy-in or pride in one’s work, it blocks progress until it’s dealt with.

For whatever reason, the bull moose has blocked the trail all summer. Perhaps it’s due to a sickness or disease, and that’s what the officials are committed to learning.

As a leader, you must root out negative attitudes within your ranks. It’s sucking the life out of your organization. And what you tolerate, you promote. Apathy, stemming from a lack of commitment or work ethic, must also be addressed. Progress is best made not when you are carrying team members with negative attitudes with you to the summit, but when you decide you can climb higher and faster without them.

Many other factors can contribute to progress being blocked in your organization. Facing up to them is just the first step to overcoming them. Commit yourself to being a leader who empowers those around you and does not stand in the way of progress.

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

What’s Under the Surface: Raising the Leaders Around You

Fossil discovery at Denver museum. Credit: AP News

Leaders develop daily, not in a day. – John C. Maxwell

In a rare turn of events, a dinosaur museum has made a fascinating discovery under its parking lot. The museum is popular with dinosaur enthusiasts of all ages, with an array of dinosaur displays and skeletons. But what was unearthed in the museum’s own parking lot has left many captivated by the discovery.

It originated from a hole drilled more than 750 feet deep to investigate the geothermal heating potential for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The result? A fossil bone discovery.

With a bore of only a couple of inches wide, museum officials struggled to describe just how unlikely it was to hit a dinosaur, even in a region with a fair number of such fossils. 

“Finding a dinosaur bone is like hitting a hole in one from the moon. It’s like winning the Willy Wonka factory. It’s incredible, it’s super rare,” said James Hagadorn, the museum’s curator of geology. Only two other similar finds have been noted in bore hole samples anywhere in the world, not to mention the grounds of a dinosaur museum, according to museum officials.

The discovery of this rare dinosaur bone serves as a poignant reminder of what lies beneath the surface around you daily. As a leader, you have untapped potential all around you, leaders waiting to be developed. You have diamonds in the rough waiting for their chance to shine. 

Identifying and raising up leaders is an important process. Let’s take a look at a few steps for your consideration.

See the potential, not just the present.

When mentoring and raising up leaders, it’s essential not to evaluate a person solely based on what you see today, but also on where you envision them in a year, or five years. While there may be some noticeable areas of improvement you can identify, see that as your starting point to build upon; don’t prejudge too quickly.

Potential can be measured in various ways, including current work ethic, dependability, curiosity, instincts, and the individual’s teachability. When you have these basics as starting points to work with, the possibilities for growth are there; they just need to be steered in the right direction. 

Give them the reins, not just the manual.

Empowerment is a crucial component of developing emerging leaders. What these leaders need is not a memorization of the manual or rulebook, but rather a playbook to guide their leadership. Click To TweetA leader will shine, produce, and grow in their potential not because they memorized the policy manual, but because they were empowered to create, take risks, fail, and re-emerge wiser and stronger on the other side. 

The goal here is not to create leaders in your image, but to help them discover their leadership identity and find their voice. This can only happen when they are empowered to take the reins.

Be an open book, not a closed door.

When it comes to leading down and developing the emerging leaders around you, you must be an open book to them, not a closed door. You want to facilitate their growth and development, not impede it. You want to be a positive influence through your engagement, vulnerability, and example.

You can’t expect to develop and lead those around you without demonstrating that you, too, are coachable, that you are committed to a growth plan and not just coasting, and that you are a leader worth emulating. 

I would like to encourage you to look beneath the surface of those around you. Where are the hidden gems in your organization that are just waiting for their opportunity to shine? It’s time to raise them up.

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

Lessons From the Beetle: Why Protecting Your Culture Matters

The Pannonhalma Archabbey
Photo Credit: Google Images

Every day, everyone in your organization creates your culture by what they value, believe, think, say, and do. – Jon Gordon

There’s a story coming out of Pannonhalma, Hungary, about tens of thousands of old books being pulled from the shelves of a medieval abbey in an effort to save them from a beetle infestation that could wipe out centuries of history.

The 1,000-year-old Pannonhalma Archabbey is a Benedictine monastery, one of Hungary’s oldest and most renowned centers of learning.

The drugstore beetle, also known as the bread beetle, is often found among dried foodstuffs like grains, flour, and spices. But they are also attracted to the gelatin and starch-based adhesives found in books. They have been found in a section of the library housing around a quarter of the abbey’s 400,000 volumes.

The beetle invasion was first detected during a routine library cleaning. Employees noticed unusual layers of dust on the shelves and then saw that holes had been burrowed into some of the book spines. Upon opening the volumes, burrow holes could be seen in the paper where the beetles had chewed through.

The abbey, which hopes to reopen the library next year, believes that the effects of climate change played a role in the spurring of the beetle infestation, as average temperatures in Hungary have risen rapidly.

Thankfully, the books will be salvaged and eventually returned to the shelves once the process is complete.

What transpired in the library serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of preserving one’s culture. The historic Pannonhalma Archabbey serves as a great example of why protecting your culture is so important. The small beetle has a few things to teach us.

No culture is immune to challenges.

One might think that a world-renowned historic library like Pannonhalma would be immune to a beetle infestation. But there they are working diligently to preserve their infested volumes of books.

Protecting your workplace culture should begin with the understanding that it is not immune to compromises or attacks that would leave it vulnerable. As a leader, you must be vigilant against harmful attitudes and mindsets that could compromise your values and mission. The earlier you identify these challenges, the better, before they spread throughout the organization.

Lesson from the beetles: Don’t take your workplace culture for granted. Work it, maintain it, and protect it at all costs.

Big problems start small.

The beetles were discovered during routine cleaning. Thankfully, they were, but not before 100,00 books were infected. Cultural awareness within your organization should be top of mind for all who have a stake in it. 

When leaders turn a blind eye to what is happening in their organization, it festers over time until eventually what could have been contained as a minor matter has now become a much larger issue that is impacting more people. Timid leaders create vacuums that will be filled with beetles eating away at the very thing you prize the most. Click To Tweet

Lesson from the beetles: Identify problems early and address them promptly. Never allow minor issues to escalate into major ones due to inaction.

A worker is helping preserve the books at the library.
Credit: Google Images

Be mindful of the ‘routine’

It was reported that the beetle infestation was discovered during a routine library cleaning. Within your organization, however, not everything should be treated as routine. Many of the issues you deal with as a leader are far from routine. However, having a routine mindset can lead to complacency if you are not careful.

When your culture is on autopilot, it’s challenging to discern what’s truly happening beneath the surface. Where is mediocrity taking place? What toxic chemistry is being overlooked and left unaddressed? What negative behaviors are being ignored? A settled routine can be detrimental to knowing where the beetles are.

Lesson from the beetle: Be intentional about your culture, growth, and values. They do not exist by accident and must be a priority.

How are you dealing with the beetles?

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

What Lid is Hindering You?

Credit: Google Images
Michigan wildlife officials are tending to the bear.

Success is not to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. – Booker T. Washington

In case you missed it, wildlife experts in Michigan successfully trapped a black bear and removed a large lid that had been stuck around its neck for two years.

State bear specialist, Cody Norton, said, “It’s pretty incredible that the bear survived and was able to feed itself. The neck was scarred and missing hair, but the bear was in much better condition than we expected it to be.”

Norton said it’s not precisely known how the lid got stuck on the bear’s neck, but added, “We were pleasantly surprised it was still able to make a living like a pretty typical bear.” 

Thankfully, the bear survived despite having a lid around its neck for two years. Now, it can return to a normal way of life that a typical bear would enjoy.

While the bear did not purposefully set out to be burdened by a large lid around its neck, it does metaphorically serve as a reminder of what happens when we live our lives burdened by things that hold us back.

From a leadership perspective, it reminds me of John Maxwell’s Law of the Lid, which states, “Leadership ability is the lid that determines a person’s level of effectiveness.” Maxwell explains this way: “The higher the individual’s ability to lead, the higher the lid on his potential. To give you an example, if your leadership rates an 8, then your effectiveness can never be greater than a 7. If your leadership is only a 4, then your effectiveness will be no greater than a 3. Your leadership ability- for better or for worse-always determines your  effectiveness and the potential impact of your organization.” 

Over time, with a commitment to growth and development, you can lift that lid as well as your potential. Your level of effectiveness is merely a starting point, not a final destination. 

While wildlife officials were about to spot the bear, rescue it, and remove the lid, you too must identify the lids in your life that hold you back. 

So let me ask you, what are the lids hindering your leadership? What are the disciplines you need to work on in order to raise your level of effectiveness?

Perhaps a few questions can help you find the answers you need to become a more effective leader. To start, why not explore the answers to the following questions?

Are you relying too heavily on your title?

You can have a title, but that doesn’t make you a leader. Specifically, in what ways do you value your title more than your growth as a leader? So long as you think it’s about your title, you will always have a lid on your leadership.

Are you holding yourself accountable?

Those who lift the lid on their effectiveness as leaders are those who hold themselves accountable. Accountable leaders are growing leaders. When you have someone whom you know and trust who can hold you accountable, they can help you see blind spots or other areas where you can improve. 

Are you serving with humility?

Arrogance coupled with a sense of entitlement is a hindrance that can hinder your leadership effectiveness. The underlying principle you have to remember in leadership is that it’s not about you. When you set out to serve others and add value to them, it will come back on you many times over.

Are you guarding your attitude?

Your attitude and disposition as a leader will make you or break you. No one wants to be around arrogant or haughty leaders. However, be aware that your attitude will serve as the thermostat for the rest of your team. Is your attitude worth emulating? 

Do you see the value in those you lead?

You can’t bring value to those around you if you see no value in them? And if that is your approach toward them, not only is it detrimental to them, but it clamps the lid on your effectiveness as a leader. 

Are you on a personal growth plan?

Your personal growth as a leader doesn’t happen by accident. It’s intentional. Unless a growth plan is a part of your daily routine as a leader, then whatever level of effectiveness you are at today is where you will be next year. And the year after. Commit yourself to a growth plan and raise the lid on your effectiveness.

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

 

The Friendship Factor

Credit: AP News

No road is too long with good company – Turkish Proverb.

Meet Reginald and Pearl—an unlikely duo for sure. Both are certified winners in their respective height titles by Guinness World Records.

Reginald is a seven-year-old Great Dane from Idaho who stands 3 feet 3 inches tall. Pearl, a four-year-old chihuahua from Florida, stands 3.59 inches tall. 

Not long ago, Guinness arranged a play date for the two, and despite their size difference, both had a tail-wagging good time. They spent two days together on a farm in Idaho; by all accounts, they bonded and played well together. According to one of the owners, Reginald and Pearl found common ground despite their height differences. 

Finding common ground and developing friendships sounds simple enough. But is it?

A Pew Research Survey found that 61% of U.S. adults believe having close friends is essential for living a fulfilled life. Yet in another survey, 15% of men report having no close friendships, five times more than the survey results from 1990.

Leadership can be isolating and lonely. The weight of a leader’s responsibilities can be overwhelming. Rather than being vulnerable and relatable, many leaders self-isolate from those around them. Eventually, the burden of going it alone becomes overwhelming, and many a good leader burns out. Could this be you?

In my years in leadership, I’ve known what it feels like to carry that weight alone. It’s not healthy, and there is a better path to take. So what is a leader to do? Here is a bit of advice I’d like to share.

Embrace the risk of friendship.

Many leaders who self-isolate or otherwise keep people at a distance do so for fear of being too close to those around them. They fear that colleagues who befriend them will take advantage of them or that they are afraid to let their guard down—all valid concerns. 

As a leader, you must understand that people will treat you differently. And it can be just as awkward for them as it is for you. And inasmuch as you wrestle with your feelings and how to handle them, the other person is doing the same.

Leadership Tip: Take the risk. Embrace friendships. Be proactive in putting the other person at ease and let them know you genuinely care for the people you lead. Somewhere down the line, will you get burned? Maybe. But you can be a leader as well as a friend. 

Additional Resource: The Power of Your Tribe: Who Belongs in it and Why

Embrace the vulnerability of friendship.

One of the qualities of any friendship is vulnerability. Vulnerability is our way of being comfortable in our skin and embracing our shared humanity. Being vulnerable builds connections and trust as we open up with others about how we feel, think, and process what we are going through.

Many leaders struggle with vulnerability. They would rather keep a poker face and keep their cards close to their chests regarding their thoughts and feelings. As a result, having close friends is a constant struggle.

Leadership Tip: Embrace vulnerability. While you may feel you are letting your guard down too much, it will drive people away; you may just be surprised by how much this one act will endear you to those you lead. Being vulnerable doesn’t make you less of a leader; it makes you more relatable as a leader. Click To Tweet

Additional Resource: Leadership in a Word: Vulnerable

Embrace the reward of friendship. 

My leadership mentor, John Maxwell, says, “Show me your friends, and I will show you your future.” This is the payoff for having good friends.

I firmly believe that we are not meant to do life alone. While many leaders approach friendships cautiously and even at a distance, the value and importance of friendship cannot be denied. I am thankful that I walk through life with friends who’ve been there through life’s joys, sorrows, and challenges. I am grateful to have a team around me whose checks I sign, but whom I consider valued friends. 

Leadership Tip: You will never know the rewards of friendship until you embrace the risk and are willing to be vulnerable. When you do, you will soon realize that you are a better leader because of it.

Additional Resource: Ellen Was Right

©2025 Doug Dickerson

What’s In a Name?

Credit: Google Images

I yam what I yam an’ that’s all that I yam! – Popeye

Setting out from Hamburg, Germany, one day to give a concert in London, violinist Fritz Kreisler had an hour before his boat sailed. He wandered into a music shop, where the proprietor asked if he could look at the violin Kreisler was carrying. He then vanished and returned with two policemen, one of whom told the violinist, “You are under arrest.”

“What for?” asked Kreisler. “You have Fritz Kreisler’s violin,” replied the officer. “I am Fritz Kreisler,” he responded.

“You can’t pull that on us. Come along to the station.” As Kreisler’s boat was sailing soon, there was no time for prolonged explanations. Kreisler asked for the violin and played a piece he was well known for. “Now, are you satisfied?” he asked. They were!

Kreisler’s detainment and subsequent release from the questioning authorities are reminders of the importance of knowing one’s name and what it is known for.

If I were to give you a list of names, you could immediately identify them by what made them famous. For example:

  • Henry Ford – Inventor of the Model T Ford
  • Thomas Edison – Inventor of the light bulb, among other things
  • Walt Disney – A pioneer of the animation industry 
  • Michael Jordan – Arguably by many the greatest NBA player of all time
  • Steve Jobs – The co-founder of Apple
  • Billy Graham – The greatest evangelist of the last century
  • Babe Ruth – One of the all-time greats in Major League Baseball

Many people are fascinated by learning more about their names and ancestry. I read that Ancestry.com had a revenue of $1 billion in 2022. That amount indicates that people long to learn more about their ancestral roots and seek a sense of belonging that connects them to their past. 

While my name and yours may not be synonymous with a great inventor or a star NBA player, our names represent a life that matters. As leaders, this is significant.

My name and yours may not command worldwide attention or recognition, but it’s a name entrusted to us to represent well.

Leadership takes many forms and has many definitions. Some leaders command the spotlight with grace and dignity, while others serve with equal honor in obscurity. 

Sadly, some abuse their place of leadership by mishandling their authority and using others to get ahead and make a name for themselves at the expense of those around them. 

As you read this, the challenge is to reflect on what your name as a leader means and what you want to be known for. Here is some food for thought.

Be known as a servant leader, not self-serving.

When you believe your leadership is about your title or position, a self-serving leadership posture will define you. Rule one in leadership is that it’s not about you. 

Additional Resource: Get Off Your High Horse

Be known for adding value, not subtracting.

As leaders, you and I have a choice every day to add value to those around us or to subtract. This is an amazing privilege. Leadership is not about what others can do for you, but is found in what you can do for them.

Additional Resource: The Value of Adding Value

Be known for listening more and talking less.

As a leader, you don’t always have to be the “answer man” to everyone around you. Your influence increases as you listen and seek to understand those around you. The old saying rings as true today as ever: God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Use accordingly.

Additional Resource: Are You Listening?

Be known for building bridges, not tearing them down

As a leader, you can be a unifier in a world of discord. Be known for bringing people together when the culture wants to divide. Division is ruled by fear; unity is defined by those who seek understanding. Good things can happen when people come around the table with open hearts and minds. That begins with you.

Additional Resource: Building Bridges and Tearing Down Walls

Be known for your humility, not your arrogance.

Leadership is not about your “rights” or the weight you want to throw around. Leadership is a privilege, and serving others is your mission. Arrogant and haughty leaders may command a room, but they don’t lead the hearts of those in it. That comes from genuinely understanding your role as a leader. Click To Tweet

Additional Resource: Recovering Humility in Leadership

As you consider the above list of ways you want to be known as a leader, I trust you will build on and add to it. Make your name and your leadership count!

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

The Price of Peace

Credit: Google Images

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. – Francis of Assisi 

What is the price and value of peace to you? To what extremes do you go to keep the peace at work or home? Are you, by nature, the peacemaker during a conflict? What do you give up in the process? How far are you willing to go to maintain and protect it? These are all challenging questions- especially for leaders.

Research by SHRM late last year revealed that among 1,000 employees, two-thirds (66%) say they have experienced or witnessed incivility in their workplace. The most common forms of incivility witnessed or experienced included addressing others disrespectfully, interrupting or silencing others while speaking (34%), and excessing micromanaging or monitoring. 

The Oxford Dictionary defines peace as “freedom from disturbance; tranquility.” However, what constitutes peace for one person in the workplace may look quite different from the person in the cubicle beside you. One person’s “disturbance” may be another person’s means of achieving the same goal as you, just in a different way. If offending you is the price of achieving the same goal, they are not bothered by that.

Patrick Lencioni once observed, “When team members trust each other and know that everyone is capable of admitting when they are wrong, then conflict becomes nothing more than the pursuit of truth or the best possible answer.” So, how do you reconcile this as a leader who desires results while maintaining a healthy balance of peace and disturbance? I believe some honest conversations are necessary to achieve this. Let’s explore a few organizational questions for consideration.

Have proper boundaries and trust been established?

Healthy boundaries in your workplace begin with healthy relationships. Click To Tweet Healthy boundaries in the workplace don’t happen by chance. When relationships are prioritized and developed, suspicions over motives are diminished. How have you intentionally made space for healthy and necessary dialogue that, with a few, may look like the absence of peace? 

When trust is established, healthy relationships can thrive. Trust is established not by keeping your people isolated and separated but by bringing them together. As a leader, you can’t just hope this happens; you must facilitate and prioritize it. 

Additional Resource: Read my article The Centrality of Trust in Leadership

What accountability measures do you have in place?

Healthy workplaces exist because accountability is front and center. When your team members have high levels of buy-in, they will have high standards they will fight to preserve. This means holding each other accountable for the culture and workflow. 

When this exists in your organization, the responsibility of accountability is shared – in other words, it isn’t all solely upon your shoulders. It’s shared and mutual, as it should be. D.A. Abrams observed, “Accountability is the difference between good leaders and great leaders.” Which do you want to be?

Additional Resource: Read my article Five Excuses That Kill Accountability

Do you and your team understand the difference between peace and conflict?

For many, it makes them uncomfortable when things are unsettled or out of alignment. This may lead to feelings that the workplace is toxic or less desirable. Clearly, toxic workplaces are not healthy, nor is this what I am speaking of here.

A healthy workplace culture can thrive with the right balance of tension and civility. It’s not an either-or situation. It can be healthy when team members come together in trust and with an open mind, indicating that we are a team of people committed to each other and our goals and objectives. 

Conflict will occur as long as the “peacekeepers” see the “disrupters” (those with no malicious intent or otherwise purposefully sabotaging your culture) as the enemy. However, seeing them as partners in the cause for the same goal can drastically improve things.

Walking this tightrope as a leader is about building bridges while prioritizing relationships and communication. 

Additional Resource: Conflict Resolution to Communication Resolution

How are you keeping the peace today?

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson

Conflict Resolution to Communication Resolution

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Peace is not the absence of conflict. It’s the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means. – Ronald Reagan

There’s an old story about two men who lived in a small village and got into a terrible dispute they could not resolve. To resolve the conflict, they decided to talk to the town sage. The first man went to the sage’s home and told his version of what happened. When finished, the sage said, “You’re absolutely right.”

The next night, the second man called on the sage and told his side of the story. The sage responded, “You’re absolutely right.” Afterward, the sage’s wife scolded her husband. “Those men told you two different stories, and you told them both they were right. That’s impossible – they both can’t be right.” The sage turned to his wife and said, “You’re absolutely right.” 

This humorous story reminds us that during conflict, most people see themselves as on the right side of the conflict. They identify the other party as the ones in the wrong, and the hamster wheel keeps spinning until they eventually “agree to disagree.” In the end, nothing changes, nothing improves, and nothing is gained.

Here’s the principle most people miss: There must be communication resolution before conflict resolution.

We hear and read so much about conflict resolution in many leadership circles. It’s almost as if the primary goal is to be as far removed from conflict as possible – thus producing and generating a “healthy” workplace culture.

As a leader, you can work tirelessly to create an environment where “conflict resolution” abounds and people smile all day. Still, underneath the surface, tensions and the general feeling that peace must be maintained at all costs are causing many to feel as though they are walking on eggshells.

What if there was a better way? What if you could have a culture where healthy disagreements could occur – and dare I say it – it’s encouraged? Imagine a culture where civility and disagreements are welcomed and discussed in a way that moves you closer to your goals and objectives. 

Many conflicts at home or work can be traced back to poor communication skills. Listening skills primarily revolve around waiting to respond and not seeking to understand. The list goes on. But when you sharpen your communication skills, you also sharpen – indirectly, your ability to resolve conflict. As a leader, this is an invaluable tool. Let me give you some general starting points for communication resolution. Remember that this is not an exhaustive list, but a good place to start.

Resolve to build trust

Communication rises and falls on trust. If your people don’t trust you, the conflict will be ever-present in your organization. The foundation of resolving conflict is measured by a shared trust that, despite any conflict, is knowing that we can trust each other.

Resolve to bring people together, not keep them apart

The longer people are kept apart, the more prolonged tensions have to fester and boil over. When your team is not sitting down together and communicating, there is more of an opportunity for conflict to grow.

Resolve to listen more than you speak

Your role as a leader is to facilitate communication, not lecture. A good rule of thumb is to talk less, listen more, and weigh in when needed. The more your team communicates with each other, the more they will discover that there is usually more that unites them than divides them. Give them space to figure it out.

Resolve to lead with humility 

Your responsibility as a leader is not to walk away from conflict but to open communication channels. It’s not about pulling rank, keeping score, or winning at all costs. It’s about being a servant leader who cares more about your people than winning. 

Next week, I will discuss this topic further with you, including some action steps you can implement to help you build a team that understands the value of communication.

 

©2025 Doug Dickerson