How you deal with conflict says a lot about how you approach leadership. Based on conflict styles research, this funny, engaging, and insightful program illustrates a variety of leadership styles, from the assertive and powerful Bulldog, to the happy-go-lucky Black Lab, and everything in between. Discover your “inner dog” and find out how to apply that knowledge in honing your leadership skills.

Learn some new tricks on how to recognize other breeds of leaders, and how to adapt your leadership style so you can ultimately become “Best in Show. During Leadership Dogs you’ll learn to…

• Develop clearer personal understanding of how you and others approach conflict;
• Utilize conflict styles awareness in dealing with interpersonal conflict on a professional and personal level;
• Practice easy-to-teach and easy-to-use communication skills for dealing with conflict;
• Develop a personal action plan on where, when and how to utilize your newly acquired skills in your personal and professional lives.

This program uses a combination of PowerPoint, group discussion, and group activities to combine leadership styles with conflict styles. To make the content easier to remember and more accessible to the audience, the styles are attached to five different dog breeds with characteristics similar to each of the five most common conflict styles.

The program begins with a challenge to change the perception of conflict from negative and something to be avoided to a positive experience that contributes to growth and change.

We then examine the five different conflict styles, linking each one to a specific dog breed. Each style has distinct characteristics and approaches to conflict, just as each dog breed has distinct characteristics that make it unique in the dog world. As each style is discussed, the breed characteristics that match the conflict style are analyzed as well, helping participants to remember more clearly the attributes of each style.

Following this overview, there is discussion and working in groups to determine strategies unique to each of the styles, and situations appropriate to each style, as well as ways of working with people from each style. Groups then come together to report on their findings; as each group reports, the facilitator adds clarifications and distinctions as needed. Focus of the conversation and clarification is always on how this information will impact participants in their personal and campus lives.

Program Formats:

• Keynote – 90 min. minimum
• Workshop or Breakout Session (90 min. to 3 hrs)
• As part of Customized Retreat or Training (40 min. – 3 days)