Conflict In Communication

Are top leaders exempt from using crucial conversations skills?

 

- Joseph Grenny

Many leaders are extremely successful despite their leadership style being forceful or even dogmatic. Joseph Grenny, co-author of Crucial Conversations and co-chairman of VitalSmarts, the international partner of corporate culture experts The Human Edge, says that Donald Trump and General Electric’s Jack Welch jump to mind. However, research has proven that we are most effective during times of crucial conversations when we express ourselves cautiously and encourage others to challenge our views.

Does this mean that crucial conversation skills can only be applied in certain situations? Firstly, it is important to define what a crucial conversation is: a situation that has high stakes, opposing opinions and strong emotions.

What we know is that there is a profound difference between performance and relationships. National politics is more about performance than relationships. Performance is a monologue, not a dialogue. It must be brief, simple, and memorable. Relationships are none of these. They require dialogue. Conversations are often lengthy, nuanced, and messy.

Agreeing to disagree