Hi {{ Name | there }},
During my PM days, I was leading a project I cared about deeply.
I researched the needed data, built a strong strategy, and took full ownership of the execution.
I was excited to get buy-in from my stakeholders, considering I already had two allies backing me.
But during our leadership meeting, I watched the project quietly slip out of my hands. 💔
Not because my work was weak, but because someone else in the room had more influence over the decision than I did.
I hadn’t realized it yet, but there was a power dynamic at play.
You know how this happens:
You bring a strong idea, and someone says, “Let’s circle back later” to water it down.
You speak up and the room goes quiet, until someone else says the same thing and suddenly it makes sense to everyone.
You think a decision is final, until the real decision happens in a meeting you weren’t invited to.
This isn’t a skills problem. It’s how power works.
You don’t lose influence because you’re not capable. You lose it when you don’t know how power moves in a room.
Learning how to read power, and work with it instead of against it changed how I win buy-in and lead.
It’s how I was able to secure promotions back-to-back.
Today, I want to break this down simply.
Here are 3 types of difficult stakeholder personas you’ll run into at work, and how to handle each one without losing your voice, confidence, or sanity:
#1 The Dominator
This is a person who hijacks meetings — talks over others, interrupts, and takes the conversation where they want it to go.
You begin presenting and within seconds they jump in:
“Let me just add something here…” and suddenly, your message disappears.
Ways to handle them:
Make your key point in the first 5 minutes; don’t wait.
When and if interrupted, respond with, “I’ll finish quickly. Then happy to hear your view.”
Re-center the room by saying, “Here’s the decision we need to make today…”
#2 The Power Broker
Not always the most senior person, but they influence how everyone else feels about the decision.
They barely speak, then drop one line like: “I’m not fully convinced…” and momentum freezes.
Ways to handle them:
If possible, align before the meeting: ”What are your concerns? What’s missing for you?”
Tie your idea to their priorities: “This supports the direction you set last quarter…”
Involve them by asking, “What would make this a yes for you?”
#3 The Silent Operator
They are quiet in meetings and agreeable on the surface. But they raise concerns later. And you may not be in the room to defend yourself.
Ways to handle them:
Pull them in by name during meetings: “Before we close, I’d love your take on this.”
Close loops in writing: “Capturing alignment here, let me know if anything’s missing.”
Follow up privately: “Anything you didn’t want to raise in front of the group?”
For a long time, I wondered why I wasn’t getting the momentum I knew my work deserved.
I thought I needed to work harder.
But it wasn’t a capability problem.
It was a power problem.
Once I started learning how to read the room, name unspoken dynamics, and hold my ground, I stopped feeling small in conversations that used to rattle me.
I’m curious, which of these stakeholders do you find hardest to navigate right now?
If you’ve built strategies to navigate difficult stakeholders, do write back to me and let me know. I read every response.
Until next week 👋
Cheering you on,
Shivani
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