Stories of Workplace Conflict That Changed Career Paths
Conflict often serves as a catalyst for significant career shifts, as seen with Steve Jobs' departure from Apple, leading to NeXT and Pixar. Travis Kalanick's resignation from Uber amid internal disputes also marked a turning point. Similarly, Whi...
Conflict has been a turning point in a dramatic shift in career path for many prominent individuals, even though it is often seen as a problem to be managed discreetly. One of the most commonly talked-about examples of this phenomenon is Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, who was forced out of Apple in 1985 following a period of internal conflict with other executives, notably then-CEO John Sculley. This was seen as a career nadir for him, but he has also been credited with using this time to build NeXT and purchase Pixar, both of which would influence his later career when he returned to Apple.
One such turning point can also be observed in the career path of Travis Kalanick, who resigned from his position as CEO of Uber in 2017 amid intense internal and boardroom-based conflicts related to company culture and management practices. Internal conflicts and tensions faced by Kalanick and the company from its investors, as highlighted by various reports from prominent media outlets such as The New York Times and Bloomberg. This demonstrates how internal conflicts can sometimes result in a turning point, which could lead to a change in a career path and, in this instance, a change in how a company functions and operates. Not all such turning points are related to executive levels and management. Whitney Wolfe Herd had a turning point in her career when she chose to part ways with Tinder, which was a move that came after she filed a lawsuit related to workplace harassment in 2014 (Forbes, The Guardian).
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The effects of conflict in the workplace are cited in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, De Dreu and Weingart (2003), which concludes that conflict can lead to lower satisfaction but can also lead to more reflection. This phenomenon was also examined in the Academy of Management Journal, Brett et al., specifically the effects of unresolved conflict, which can lead to higher turnover intentions and career changes. Conflict is not the end but rather the beginning in all these cases, and is ultimately a wake-up call and the chance to redefine one’s direction and identity.
