Q: Recently, I was assigned to lead a major project. One of our planning committee members is undermining my every decision. Any advice on how to make my leadership role clear without triggering additional power struggles with this individual?
A: Taking charge of someone with a strong personality like this can be difficult. Strong personalities typically want one of three things: influence, recognition or control. When all three are competing for the same space, friction is inevitable. As the project leader it’s your responsibility to bring order, reduce friction, clarify direction, make people feel heard and move your team forward.
That said, you need to reset your agenda to redirect this individual’s “energy.” Strong personalities tend to calm down when they understand the boundaries and the purpose.
Here are some thoughts to shift the dynamics:
- Refine and reframe project clarity. If you haven’t already shared your goals and objectives for the project, you need to strategically address or re-address your agenda clearly so your committee understands the project purpose, their respective role and responsibilities including a timeline for deliverables and the rules of engagement, signaling you are the project organizer—not the competitor. (Strong personalities argue endlessly when decisions feel subjective).
- Turn competition into contribution. Give each team member a lane where they can shine without competing for the same spotlight. Again, assigning a role to each committee member will provide a leading role for them to feel valued. Ask: “Can you take the lead on this part?” rather than “Who wants to lead?”
- When someone tries to take over, reflect and redirect. For example, say: “That’s a strong point. Let’s hear some other perspectives.” Or, “Before we go deeper, let’s check if this aligns with our goal.” You’ve now set the rule where disagreements can become contributions not battles.
- Keep senior management apprised of your progress. Update your senior leadership in connection with the project’s progress along with acknowledging team member contributions This will help maintain transparency and ensure your contributions are visible to those in charge to counteract any attempts to diminish your credibility.
- Escalate if needed. Should the behavior persist from the individual in question you may need to involve your immediate supervisor or HR for guidance, but make sure you have documented evidence to support your concerns.
Finally, keep in mind that when there is more than one person involved with project planning , there is inevitably the question of who is in charge. By documenting behavior and strategically addressing someone challenging your leadership, you can protect your professional standing and maintain a healthier work environment when faced with undermining managers in the future.
Joan Lee Berkman is a marketing and public relations consultant. if you have a question for Joan, send it to business@townandstyle.com.