Episode 65

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Published on:

28th Feb 2023

Insights into Positive Compromise

Insights into Positive Compromise

Some of the most sought-after soft skills are problem solving, collaboration, and negotiation. All of these include the skills needed for positive compromise.

Three primary approaches with leaders around this idea of positive or negative compromise:

#1. The first group acknowledges the possibilities in positive compromise serving as a necessary tool for resolving conflicts and promoting cooperation and collaboration.

#2. The second group of leaders talk about the act of compromise as a negative, undesired strategy that undermines a leader’s authority and influence.

#3. The third group of leaders seek to find compromise that is both positive and negative. These leaders seek to find a middle ground where all involved find at least some of their needs being met.  A concern with the balance act of this third group is that, over time, changes subtly move the group away from the initially accepted “middle ground” and movement shifts towards either end of compromise.

THE BIG MISCONCEPTION IN COMPROMISE: In any compromise there is always and only a right and a wrong.

The priorities of positive compromise remain the same:

  • each person’s fundamental beliefs and value are non-negotiable.
  •    each person’s identity is not being challenged.
  • each person is respected in their desire for autonomy and freedom.

Here are 5 steps you can follow with positive compromise:

1. DEFINE THE SITUATION

2. COMMUNITY MATTERS

3. GENERATE OPTIONS

4. DISCOVER ALTERNATIVES

5. AGREE ON NEXT STEPS 

Call me: Healthy Leadership Contact

 



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About the Podcast

The Art of Leadership
The Art of Leadership focuses on soft skills... some of the hardest skills a leader will ever learn.
The Art of Leadership with Dr. Niña Ellison focuses on the soft skills of leadership, their value and the power of their influence. As a leader, if you are interested in moving from success to significance then balancing both hard and soft skills is essential!

Hard skills are demonstrated through technical expertise that results in clearly measured goals being reached. They are vital to the success of any initiative or program. On the other hand, soft skills emphasize the transformation of people. They highlight behavioral changes and making a difference in people’s lives.

This podcast is for leaders who are seeking a fresh perspective into some of the hardest soft skills a leader will ever learn. You can connect with Niña at https://www.ninaellison.com

About your host

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Niña Ellison

In 2019, after years of leading teams varying from international disaster relief and healthcare to the US Corporate world, Niña founded Healthy Leadership to focus on her passion for partnering with leaders in their growth and sustainability. Her own journey into soft skill development has convinced her that while her technical skills helped her get her foot in the door, her soft skills moved the influence of her leadership from success to significance.

As a soft skill specialist Niña takes monthly deep dives in her podcast series, The Art of Leadership, to explore the underlying dimensions of soft skills. She knows that soft skill development is not so much about WHAT but HOW a leader leads.
• From a 10,000 foot view a leader pursuing soft skills asks, “How do I problem solve; How do I manage time and energy?”
• From a 1,000-foot view that same leader, as they dig deeper into soft skills, begins asking questions like, “How do I listen; or How do gain self-control?”
• From Ground Zero the leader recognizes that there are underlying dimensions of soft skills as they ask, “How do I model respect for all; How do I sustain hope; How do I demonstrate appropriate love in the workplace; How do I maintain the right attitude?” How do I lead by serving?

Nina believes that behind every wildly effective and sustainable system and process are leaders and teams who have interwoven soft skills into every phase of their work.