Have you ever realized that mankind has evolved by discovering its inner strength across various eras? We have fought numerous territorial battles to prove we are the superpower to sustain ourselves. This Charles Darwin theory has been depicted in Hindu mythology’s Dasavathara where the incarnation of lord Vishnu starts from Mathsya ‘ the fish’ being the smallest creature to lord Krishna, symbolizing the growth of human beings with art, craft, and culture. Every battle won leads to the next avatar with a larger evolution.
Such battles happen within us every day and more as we are on top of the organizational ladder. Our potency is a key weapon to win a conflict battle. Inner conflicts allow us to understand that a problem exists and help us innovate ways to resolve it. Conflicts also make us more verbal to rekindle the strength to combat them.
Internal conflict – A Cognitive Dissonance
Once a client, a member from the upper econ shared an experience with me of wanting to give his feedback about a project proposal to his peer. His expertise in the industry aided him in understanding the problems the project may incur, but he decided to steer clear of the situation as he was in no way accountable for the project.
Has there been a situation where your emotions overrode morality?
Being in an onerous role in the C suite, have you ever felt indecisive, clammy, or anxious?
This turmoil of man vs. self situation is when a person’s emotions are encircled with values, wants, and beliefs that are not aligned properly. This misalignment resonates with fear, dislike, resentment, disgust, etc.
The struggle may start something small like confusion in a person’s mind and lead to a big picture like distress. As psychology says, internal conflict is a mental discomfort that alters one’s beliefs, behavior, or attitude.
“The human capacity is like bamboo – far more flexible than you’d ever believe.”
The above quote by Jodi Picoult makes us realize the potency of our inner self. Harnessing our self-power by cultivating deep-rooted beliefs about ourselves and our surroundings makes us strong and resilient. Maybe we would be wondering where to get started.
It can begin by:
- Reflecting on our actions and creating a self-awareness
- Learning from past experiences and failures
- Cultivating positive mindset
- Setting meaningful goals for oneself
- Taking expert help
As William Ellery Channing said, “Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.”
The Strength and Conflict DUO
“Strength alone knows conflict; weakness is below even defeat and is born vanquished.” – Anne Swetchine.
Strength and conflict exist conjointly. Positive conflict can identify inner strength and the latter can be used to minister conflicts. Identifying inner strength is a journey that involves understanding and harnessing your resources to maintain resilience.
Your core strengths can be a pathway to channel conflicts positively:
- Being an Active Listener:
Listening is a skill beyond just hearing what is required. Response and acknowledgment at the right time make a person a good listener. Nonprejudicial listening also paves the way for inheriting effective decision-making capacity. Inner struggle demands you to listen to yourself and acknowledge the problems to bud them off at early stages.
- Adaptability:
How easily can you adapt to a new perspective suggested by a bottom-line employee?
This core value of embracing change helps us manage our inner conflicts by opening up to new standpoints and allowing us to think about what needs to be sorted.
- Decision-making:
From confusion to conclusion, decision-making is the art of managing a situation in the best possible way. Robust decision-making capacity eases the situation by understanding what needs to be done when a battle strikes your brain and heart. As the saying goes, “What’s right may not be always popular & what’s popular might not be always right.”
- Self cohesion:
Do you remember our mothers constantly praising and boasting about the smallest achievements we have made? These little words of appreciation make confident adults capable of inspiring themselves. Knowing one’s aptitude will help understand beliefs and values that need to be imbibed in everyday scenarios. These actions will help to keep the inner conflict at bay.
- Emotional intelligence:
In a recent study, EQ is more important than IQ. Handling one’s emotions in an adverse situation is one of the leading game changers in conflict management. Knowing and managing one’s emotions will be critical in analyzing the situation and devoid of any untoward decisions.
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