ESMT Berlin Germany
Rarely do we wake up thinking, “Today is the day I want to address that lingering tension with my colleague.” Or, “I really want to understand the perspective of someone I strongly disagree with.” Managing conflict isn’t something most people look forward to, but it is one of the most vital and transformative skills a leader (or human) can develop.
This course explores where conflict comes from, why it persists, and how it can be managed rather than avoided. You’ll examine how identity, trust, culture, and cognition shape the way we experience disagreement. Why do smart people see the same event so differently? What stops us from repairing trust, even when we want to? And how can we engage productively with people we disagree with without compromising are own values?
With better conflict management comes something surprising: not just resolution, but appreciation. When we stop being threatened by difference, we start learning from it. Conflict becomes not a barrier to progress, but a gateway to insight, into others, and ourselves. That’s essential for anyone working in today’s diverse, interdependent world.