Leadership in Economic Development: Getting to Peace
By Joy Wilkins, CEcD
Our present challenge is to change the culture of conflict itself within our families, our workplaces, our communities, and our world. It is to create a culture where even the most serious disputes are handled on the basis not of force and coercion but of mutual interest and coexistence. Far from eliminating differences, our challenge is to make the world safe for differences. – William Ury
Many of the problems facing our communities – some of them large scale and multi-generational – may not be all that unique. What can be rare, however, is how well community leaders connect with each other to address these problems constructively and in a way that changes community life.
We humans are, by nature, distinctive in our interests, priorities, histories, and sociocultural experiences, all of which shape how we see and communicate with each other. While this diversity is perhaps the most beautiful aspect of our human condition, it can also be our most challenging aspect in achieving peace with each other.
Exacerbating this challenge for economic development leaders are the distinct missions, organizations, and people we represent. To find common ground amidst our differences and partner to work across boundaries can be daunting, but it is very possible. And as stewards of the public trust, this is our imperative duty.
How do we do so when conflict is present – even conflicts that are ultimately harmful? Social anthropologist William Ury, an author and thought leader in conflict resolution, provides helpful guidance in his 1999 book, Getting to Peace: Transforming Conflict at Home, at Work, and in the World.
Preventing unnecessary conflict
Conflict in and of itself can be a healthy tool. “The best decisions result from not a superficial consensus but from surfacing different points of view and searching for creative solutions,” says Ury, who believes our goal should never be to eliminate conflict altogether. However, not all conflict is necessary or good, particularly when it leads to people not getting along and avoiding each other – or, worse, being at war with each other.
What is the difference between healthy conflicts versus those that have a destructive nature?
According to Ury, destructive conflicts occur when personal needs are not met. He describes these needs as emotional in nature, such as love, respect, recognition, belonging, identity, and purpose and meaning to life. Understanding whether those we serve feel true or perceived deprivation in these areas can go a long way toward preventing destructive conflict, he explains.
Ury describes three roles that leaders can play in addressing these needs – provider, teacher, and bridge-builder – each of which is part and parcel for carrying out our duties in economic development.
As providers, we can help people by sharing resources and knowledge, creating a framework for safe conversations, engaging them in decision-making, and opening doors.
As teachers, we can handle everyday tensions by encouraging respect for our differences and joint problem-solving.
As bridge builders, we can create ties that cut across boundaries, lead joint projects, and foster genuine dialogue which helps people know, understand, and trust one another.
Successful economic development leaders inherently know this and wear all three hats well. They also spend considerable time getting to know their key stakeholders, actively listening to them, and intuitively engaging them according to their interests and gifts. This enables economic developers to build a sense of community amongst those they serve that addresses the emotional needs that all humans share. Additionally, they often are able to discern the potential for rifts between parties and can address them effectively before they erupt.
Resolving overt conflicts
When conflicts erupt to unhealthy levels, there is usually a variety of reasons, some of which may be underlying tensions that date back generations. According to Ury, beyond personal needs not being met, contributing factors include conflicting interests, disputed rights, unequal power, and injured relationships.
Many of us know of communities, urban and rural alike, where such conflict has hindered their economic development potential for many years and in measurable ways. Perhaps it is a region where jurisdictions will not work together to promote the region as a whole or co-invest in needed infrastructure. It may be a city where leaders refuse to be in the same room at the same time, let alone work together. Or possibly it is a population or group that has been marginalized or underserved.
Whatever the case, oftentimes the economic developer can play a critical role in conflict resolution. Says Ury, “in every dispute, there are not just two sides, but an untapped third side that can transform destructive conflicts into profitable cooperation.” According to the author, the importance of introducing a neutral third person to any argument between two parties can be immediately observed: the parties’ tone becomes more moderate and their behavior more controlled.
Ury describes three roles any of us can play in managing conflict – as mediator, equalizer, and healer. Each is germane in our efforts to serve communities.
As mediators, we can work to bring all parties to the table, facilitate communication, and help people search for a solution.
As equalizers, we can work to democratize power by convening key actors that represent the diversity of our communities, empowering the weak and underserved, and promoting a fair sharing of power.
As healers, we can repair broken or injured relationships by creating the right emotional climate for talks to occur, listening to and acknowledging those with grievances, encouraging offenders to apologize, and helping the offended to forgive.
Ultimately, explains Ury, in order for a relationship to heal, the offended party must truly forgive the offender, and by doing so, let go of the hurt. This not-so-simple act can heal even the most ruptured relationships. “One person’s forgiveness can sometimes move an entire nation,” he says.
Changing our culture
Although it may seem at times that it’s human nature not to get along, Ury argues that the desire to do so is actually rooted in our core being. Perhaps we instinctively know this by the inner peace we feel when we are working well together or, alternatively, by the stress we undergo when we are not. Learning to live together is something humans have done throughout time, he notes.
A game-changer for us in this time is that we are no longer confined by geography. As a result of technological advancements, our daily lives provide us with greater exposure to the amazing diversity of humankind than ever before, presenting ever-new challenges for getting along. We also face ever-growing opportunities to foster greater connectivity among peoples of diverse background and for seeing fruitful relationships emerge.
Helping people get along is nothing short of essential to the prosperity of our communities. When we learn how to understand, respect and appreciate our differences – and this becomes part of our culture – not only do we reduce the potential for costly conflicts, but our communities increase their promise for being the places of choice for today’s generation and generations to come. Therefore, it is critical for our profession to help our communities develop a culture for working together across boundaries.
Why us?
Ury makes the case that anyone can act as the third party in helping others get along. Each of us does this to some extent within our families, networks, and other personal relationships. However, more often than not, those of us serving in economic development are the exact right people in the exact right place to provide this help within our communities.
Why? Because of the nature of our work, we are often positioned to be the super-connectors for our communities – the ones who develop and maintain trusted relationships with all the key stakeholders. We can help them to connect with each other and provide the glue, when needed, to mend relationships. We can, in Ury’s words, “change the story” for the communities we serve.
Talk about meaningful work!
ABOUT THIS ARTICLE
Economic development leaders are true change agents for the world around them. The impact of their leadership on those they serve is untold and often cumulative in nature. This article is part of IEDC's ongoing series of articles on "Leadership in Economic Development" that focuses on the application of leadership principles to economic development practice. How do we respond to the call for dynamic and adaptive leadership given the ever-evolving economic, social, environmental and political considerations affecting our communities and organizations? This article, and the series as a whole, aims to contribute to the conversation.
[This article first appeared in Economic Development Now, a publication by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), in November 2014 and appears here with permission. Special thanks to IEDC's former managing editor Louise Anderson for her partnership in producing this article.]
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