One thing that I believe makes a good leader is acknowledging weakness. That being said, negotiating and managing conflict is definitely a weakness of mine. I have really thought about this competency and I think the reason why I am so shaky in this area is because I do not have much practice with it. As stated in a previous competency, the LEAD Office is a place that feels like home to me. I haven’t really had to deal with any conflict in the office, I guess you could say we’re all really lucky. I have found that even at other jobs that I have had and throughout my time in school I have never really had to deal with any serious conflict. I think that has happened because I generally tend to run away from any type of conflict.
Conflict tends to be thought of as a bad thing but I believe that there are a number of ways that conflict can help a person grow. Being challenged stimulates the mind and promotes creative thinking. You always learn a lot about yourself and other people. It is true that you will only get in REAL conflict over the things you care the most about and the things that keep you up at night. Things that you feel you have put your heart into. Another aspect I feel makes a good leader is having a willingness to listen to other’s problems. By doing this you will learn more about the people around you and their beliefs or culture. In college, everyone seems to have something their passionate about. Tensions run high in college. I don’t know if it’s all the coffee we drink or if it is the pressure to be doing something or changing something, but there always seems to be deep discussions being help in college. I have learned to embrace these conversations and embrace conflict. They have taught me a lot more than things on TV or things I read on the internet. They have also taught me to put myself it other people’s shoes and try to understand why they feel the way they feel or why they may be so passionate about a certain topic. I hope to continue to do this throughout my time in college and learn and grow along the way.