CIQ Fluency: How Conflict Intelligence Can Be a Learned Language of Leadership for Organizations in Turbulent Times

Abstract: This research investigates Conflict Intelligence (CIQ) as a critical leadership competency for navigating conflicts and crises in complex organizational environments. Through three studies, CIQ is examined as a multi-level construct comprising self-awareness, social skills, situational adaptivity, and systems thinking. Study 1 explores the relationship between employees’ perceptions of their leaders’ CIQ and organizational outcomes, such as psychological safety and conflict culture, revealing strong positive correlations. Study 2 seeks to examine factors that impact perception of CIQ independent of CIQ itself, such as frequency of the participants’ observation of their manager in conflict, proximity to the conflict, and role. Study 3 seeks to establish the validity of CIQ by correlating it with seven advanced, observable conflict management behaviors derived from global examples across diplomacy, business, and politics. Preliminary findings suggest CIQ is a reliable, measurable construct with significant implications for leadership development and organizational strategies. By fostering CIQ fluency, organizations can better address conflicts, enhance resilience, and improve outcomes in dynamic and crisis-prone contexts. Future research will refine CIQ tools and explore additional moderators in diverse settings.

Keywords: conflict intelligence, leadership effectiveness, crisis management, organizational culture, psychological safety, conflict culture