I cannot say I personally always was good about dealing with it, but the most effective court leaders are very good at dealing with dissent. Leadership in courts is in many respects no different than many organizations. Effective leaders understand that getting people to buy into a shared vision is essential, but there are going to be times when people do not see the world the way you do. Ineffective leaders of courts too often take task conflict (which can at times be healthy) and turn it into personal conflict (which is rarely healthy).

And so I thought I would share my thoughts about dissent in this article published in Trends. Trends is a publication of the National Center for State Courts.

If you have the time and the inclination, I am interested in what you think.

– Judge Kevin S. Burke