Recently, my podcast colleague, Gordon White, and I have launched a new season of our podcast, the onconflictpodcast.
It took us a while to land on what we wanted our focus to be for a second season. We had to face questions like:
- Do we want to continue with this project at all?
- What was worthwhile about it about this endeavour so far?
- What could be worthwhile about it in the future?
Through these kind of soul-searching conversations, we came to a place where we decided not only that we definitely did want to do a Season Two, but what also emerged was a new focus. Season One had been electrifying, nerve-wracking, and very new, new, new. There was so much to learn, so many people in our field who we could contact, so many directions we could take.
But Season Two was different. Did we want to continue with the same perspective, or did we want to go for something that offered us newness and growth?
Guess what we chose?
Yup, newness and growth!
What does that mean?
For us, it meant a deliberate choice. We chose something we wanted: to really dive into the whole area of conflict, collaboration and leadership. Collaborative leadership. Conflict leadership. In particular, there is a question that my soul has been chasing for years and it’s one that Gordon and I talk about a lot:
What can we expect, and what should we expect, of our leaders when it comes to conflict competency?
We decided to set out on a journey to find out! A second season was born!
One key thing that has already emerged, and came out of the very first episode of Season Two, is our attempt to put together what we see as the different dimensions of “Conflict Leadership.” We found 7 areas we thought leaders need to be cognizant of. Our thinking will continue to evolve as the Season grows on. See what you think so far:
- Be responsible
- Think systemically
- Coach
- Have and model difficult conversations
- Mediate as appropriate
- Know how to do (and do) team development
- Be committed to continuous improvement
If you want to hear our first episode with these dimensions discussed, check this out.
There is something exciting about choosing the new in the context of the stable. We still have a podcast, but we’re embarking together into new territory. Newness allows you to be a learner again, to have a beginner’s mind and to delight in the things you are learning.
What about you? What is causing you delight in its newness?
“To us, the value of a work lies in its newness: the invention of new forms, or a novel combination of old forms, the discovery of unknown worlds or the exploration of unfamiliar areas in worlds already discovered – revelations, surprises.” …Octavio Paz