5 Levels of Conflict

I'd like to share one of my favorite models for workplace conflict: The 5 Levels of Conflict created by Speed B. Leas.

In this video I describe these 5 levels and how they are vary relevant now:

Level 1 - Problem to Solve
Level 2 - Disagreement
Level 3 - Contest
Level 4 - Crusade
Level 5 - World War

My personal intention is to only navigate conflict from Level 1. I encourage my teams and colleagues to set this as their goal as well. Level 1 is where healthy teams live.

As leaders, I believe that it is important to make it very clear that Level 3 or higher behaviors (personal attacks, microaggressions, attacks based on affiliations, etc.) are never acceptable. Level 2 defensive behavior although undesirable, is a often outside of one's conscious awareness.

It is my belief that when people truly feel safe to be themselves and communicate freely without fearing being judged or attacked personally, magic happens. Instead of feeling the continual stress that comes from being extremely guarded, people relax and are able to bring their best selves to work.

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[Julie Allen is an executive leadership coach who helps executive women leverage authenticity as a superpower to transform the way they show up, make decisions, and deliver meaningful results in the workplace. boldauthenticity.com]