By online.wsj.com
Published: February 14, 2014
The following is an excerpt from: online.wsj.com
As More Companies Seek Feisty Leaders, An Eagerness to Please Could Kill Your CareerAs More Companies Seek Feisty Leaders, An Eagerness to Please Could Kill Your Career
It's time to kill a common myth: Executives who avoid workplace conflicts get ahead. Instead, their advancement often stalls.
A well-liked senior vice president at a big health-care company lost a key promotion and left in 2012 because he never disagreed with colleagues during meetings. The man's failure to manage conflict derailed his career, recalls David Dotlich, a leadership and succession coach. His research has identified "eagerness to please" as one of the top reasons that executives fail.
Keen to innovate faster, employers increasingly choose bosses "astute at dealing with conflict rather than ducking it," says Judith Glaser, an executive coach and author of the new book, "Conversational Intelligence."
And with more businesses relying on teamwork, top managers' conflict-resolution skills are in greater demand, adds Theodore Dysart, a vice chairman of Heidrick & Struggles International Inc., a major executive-recruitment firm.
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