---

Resolving dysfunctional leadership dynamics

Example: Professionals tend to be passionate about their work and eager advocates for their areas of interest. At the top of the firm this can result in very challenging discussions and dysfunctional leadership dynamics, as members of the Executive Committee or Board struggle to reach a consensus on major strategic decisions. Such conflicts can come to a head at leadership offsites. Through my research on leadership dynamics I see beyond the rhetoric and quickly get to the heart of the underlying tensions. I work with the senior leadership group to broker consensus and resolve seemingly irreconcilable conflicts.

---

Preventing post-merger disintegration

Case study: : One year after an international merger, relations among senior professionals in the two firms were deteriorating. Passive resistance was flaring up into outright hostility. I was invited to broker a resolution. Beginning by presenting my research on mergers and acquisitions, I helped the partners to recognise that their anxiety and hostility was “normal”. I provided an academic framework to understand and manage their emotions. I created an environment where they could speak more honestly to each other about their concerns, to identify like-minded colleagues in the merger partner. I showed them how to create structures to identify opportunities for cooperation and begin working successfully together.