Activity and discussion on the definition and nature of conflict, arenas of conflict and the differences between constructive and destructive conflict. We will discuss class assignments, readings, and course requirements and expectations contained in this syllabus.

We will actively discuss the properties of conflict interaction, the nature of change as it relates to leading through conflict and introduce students to one of the major frameworks for the class, Interpersonal Peacekeeping Model. We will explore the overall process of conflict resolution as a series of interactions rather than a one-time episode. Leadership on the Line will guide our thinking about leadership as it relates to conflict, and in this session we will focus on the role of loss.

Social cognition about conflict can vary from person to person, but there are some important patterns that psychologists have identified that shape our experience with conflict. We may have different experiences and thresholds of tolerance with conflicts, but in this session we will explore the benefits of engagement and process. We will also discuss the diagnostic aspect of leadership in terms of distinguishing between adaptive and technical challenges.

Research suggests there is often a gap between our desire to be open to others whom we are in conflict and the other’s perception of these gestures of reception. In other words, we think we are being more open than we actually are according to the other person. We will discuss the “three stories” involved in difficult conversations and the importance of asking questions and conveying reception of the other. The psychological concept of “Naïve Realism” we will explore as an inhibitor of receptiveness and we will take a scientific assessment of receptiveness. We will discuss theoretical and practical ways to approach our own assumptions about conflict and how we come across to others.

Now that we have made our way through the “differentiation” process of conflict resolution, we need to focus on the “integration” of strategic planning and problem-solving. We will explore conflict styles, the various approaches to conflict, and how we can become more versatile is handling various conflict situations and contexts. Here we will also explore gender, race and cultural influences on conflict styles. The second part of this session will examine the identity conversation in terms of our own and others’ sources of identity and how to build awareness and flexibility in our sense of self during conflict.

Emotional oftentimes play a powerful role in conflict. Sometimes conflicts are almost entirely about the emotions involved. We need strategies to respond helpfully to our own and others emotions and avoid what Heifetz and Linsky call “work avoidance”. Stone and colleagues give us here some helpful strategies and ways of thinking about conflict that keep conflicts from escalating, while keeping our integrity in speaking up for ourselves and being generous with others.

Why do we sometimes take conflict so personally? If we look a little deeper into conflict, part of the reason is that there is some felt threat of fundamental human needs (such as the need to belong or the need to be loved) at stake. Irving Goffman introduced the concept of “face” into sociology and it has become a classic concept in social psychology as well. Face is someone’s claim to be a certain type of person and thus is centrally concerned with identity issues. We will discuss how to recognize this in ourselves and others and how crucial it is for resolving conflicts in several cases.

We will examine the social science on how to deal with arrogant jerks, blunt people that make rude comments, those that annoy us, and bad bosses. How do you handle people that just don’t give a damn? How do you speak up for yourself and others when someone is being rude, offensive or worse? We will practice the skills of Difficult Conversations in terms of encountering passive-aggression, taboo behaviors, and unethical speech and action.

Understanding power and politics are both integral to understanding leadership. At the root of leadership is anticipating resistance and strategic alliances, utilizing different forms of power, and navigating politics are important tools that leaders must learn to wield. We will practically discuss the uses and balance of power in conflict including the ethical implications.

The environment and external influences (often internalized) on conflict interaction are critical to pay attention to. In this session we will mostly explore the impact of culture and cultural differences on conflict. We will discuss misunderstanding that come with cross-cultural conflict and how we can move past these to interact more effectively. We will also discuss when to initiate conflict as a leader or follower in order to address purposes or needed changes. We will apply the metaphorical concept of regulating the temperature when it comes to conflict.

Often conflict and negotiation are taught together, especially in business contexts, as they share many of the same properties and interpersonal principles. However, negotiation has some distinct properties as it distinguishes claiming value from creating value for both parties and other psychological biases such as anchoring. We will practice negotiating and using the principles from the articles and from best practices to understand artful negotiation in a deeper way. This class will include a special guest AAU lecturer and former CEO Heinrich Homola.

Part of the ethics of leadership is understanding not only how deep conflict emerges between groups (like the deep polarization we see today around the world), but to cross those divides as a catalyst for reconciliation and peace. Here we’ll discuss how to “scale up” some of the principles we’ve learned interpersonally to group conflict, how to mediate effectively between groups and Heifetz and Linsky’s concept of “giving the work back to the people with the problem.”

In this lesson we will take a deep dive into a leadership case of a Prague City Mayor’s efforts to fight corruption and increase transparency about 20 years ago. Students will read and come with questions about this case and we will be joined by a special guest, Jan Kasl himself to discuss the lessons in leadership he took from this period. Students will have the chance to speak with a local leader and learn about his struggle up close. Then we will discuss the student cases they have been investigating for the past couple weeks along with the idea of “holding steady” in leading.

Written, in class