When you're put into a leadership role, regardless of whether it's for a small business or a larger corporation, one of the main roles you will have to fulfill in your job is that of conflict resolution. As much as we hate to admit it, conflict and battles are a part of everyday life. One of the worst things that someone in a leadership position can do is ignore this fact and push confrontation to the side. Not only does this let the negativity infect and fester, but it also undermines your position within the business, giving your employees a lack of respect for you and your role in their lives. There's nothing worse than a leader with an uncaring attitude towards the struggles of a workplace. Regardless of whether a conflict rises over the small business software employed in the company, interpersonal issues or something far larger and insidious, taking a proactive approach will help to detoxify your workplace and get everyone back to their productive peaks. The root of many office conflicts can be traced back to two very clear and distinct attributes of character - communication and emotions. Most come from an individual's inability to either communicate clearly, or to keep their emotions in check. Providing avenues for people to get their thoughts and feelings off their chest in a productive, constructive and mediated environment will help workers to work through their issues without the risk of things escalating towards a point of no return. If you begin to see the first signs of trouble, or someone approaches you with a complication, be sure to tackle it head on, rather than put it into your 'To Do' pile. Not only will this help your business reach a satisfactory resolution faster, but you also gain the advantage of showing that you care about your employees, which can go a long way in increasing productivity.