Have you ever noticed that some people are natural leaders? These people influence more people from there place in the organization than the appointed leaders. These people can be a force for good or a force for bad. As a leader in an organization, especially a leader of a project, you have to recognize these people and make sure they use their power for good.
How do you recognize these natural leaders? They may not be evident. They may be hiding in the shadow, instigating others. I like to say they are on the edge of everything, influencing events. I have had my share of run in with these type of people and it can be a challenge to use their powers for the good of the project and the organization.
The first step in getting them on your side is to simply talk to them and create a common ground. Many times this is harder than it sounds and it might be time consuming, but it is well worth it. You have to be careful not to create a trans-actual relationship. This is the type of relationship where there is a tit for tat.
The next step is to include them in the process. This will help in bringing the rest of the project team into the process as well. This is important to solidify the participation to the end for the project team.
The last part of this process is to make sure that the team is recognize for the success of the project. This also includes a little mentoring to make sure that the natural leaders on the project team recognize their potential and hopefully move up into the project manager ranks.
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