From Positions to Interests: Leadership Strategies for Managing Workplace Conflict

Written by Lesallan | May 14, 2026

From Positions to Interests: Leadership Strategies for Managing Workplace Conflict

     Conflict is an unavoidable part of organizational life, and this week’s materials emphasized that effective leaders do not avoid conflict but instead learn to manage it with emotional intelligence, clarity, and respect. The lecture introduced an important distinction between challenged individuals, who struggle intrapersonally, and challenging individuals, whose interpersonal behaviors create tension. This distinction helps leaders avoid personalizing conflict and instead focus on the underlying dynamics influencing behavior. As the lecture illustrated, “just because Alice was annoying did not mean that she did not have a valid point,” which reinforces the principle of separating the person from the problem (Matkin et al., 2023). This mindset allows leaders to evaluate issues objectively rather than through the lens of personality.

     In my virtual workplace, procedural conflict is the most usual form of disagreement. Team members often agree on the desired outcome but differ sharply on how to achieve it. Matkin et al. (2023) explains that procedural conflict frequently escalates when relational needs, self-esteem, control, and affiliation—are not acknowledged. I have witnessed this when individuals become entrenched in their positions rather than exploring their underlying interests, like the lecture example where Penny’s frustration with Terri’s tardiness evolved into a rigid timesheet policy that affected the entire team. This demonstrates how quickly a personal interest can transform into a positional stance that creates unnecessary disruption.

      Although some conflicts feel unmanageable—particularly when individuals are highly uncooperative or avoidant—the conflict styles model suggests that leaders can still guide teams toward collaboration or compromise by reframing issues, clarifying definitions, and using strategies such as differentiation, fractionation, and face‑saving. Fractionation has been especially effective in my experience because breaking large issues into smaller, more manageable parts allows teams to experience progress and reduces emotional intensity. This aligns with the lecture’s emphasis on helping individuals “gain something” through small wins, which improves morale and makes the work environment more productive.

      As a leader, it is appropriate to engage in conflict when team morale or productivity is affected, when miscommunication is escalating tension, when organizational values or mission are at risk, or when a team member’s relational needs are being overlooked. Research supports this approach. Ayoko et al. (2020) found that leaders who demonstrate emotional intelligence and adopt collaborative conflict‑management strategies significantly reduce team stress and improve performance. Their findings reinforce this week’s emphasis on psychological safety and the leader’s role in shaping relational dynamics. Conflict is not something to fear but something to steward. When leaders approach conflict with curiosity, empathy, and structure, they transform tension into growth and strengthen the team’s ability to work together effectively.

—Lesallan ✝️

References:

Ayoko, O. B., Konrad, A. M., & Boyle, M. V. (2020). The moderating influence of team emotional

        intelligence on conflict and team performance. International Journal of Conflict Management,

        31(2), 175–198. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCMA-10-2018-0129

Matkin, G. S., Headrick, J., & Sunderman, H. M. (2023). Developing human potential: A personal

         approach to leadership. Open Textbook Library.        

https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/1471

McNamee, D. (2026). Week 6 lecture: Conflict management [Unpublished lecture]. University of

          Arkansas Grantham.