A disagreement between two leaders can spread through the organization as contradictory priorities. Teams repeat work, wait for competing approvals or avoid decisions likely to reopen the dispute.
The cost may be recorded as a delivery problem even though employees cannot resolve the conflict creating it.
Identify where the disagreement reaches the work
Choose a recent delay or reversal. Trace the instructions that produced it. Ask whether the leaders disagree about facts, priorities, authority or the relationship itself.
Do not ask their teams to negotiate a settlement through another operating meeting. The leaders need to address the issue at the level where it can be decided.
Settle the decision rule
Agree on who owns the contested choice and what information both parties need. If the tradeoff exceeds their authority, bring it to the person who can resolve it.
Communicate the result together where practical. Employees should not have to infer which private conversation takes precedence.
Follow up on the work that was affected. Some commitments may need to be revised, and some people may need reassurance that the new instruction will hold.
The purpose of resolving tension is not to create personal closeness. It is to give the organization a dependable way to act when its leaders see the problem differently.
