Professor Ella Bell, the Tuck School of Business, courtesy of YouTube.com

Sometimes I inadvertently stick out from others in a group and end up heading up a project that I’d only meant to offer input on like everyone else.  You can probably relate to those times when you’ve had an idea and try to fly it and suddenly you’re in charge.  It happens for a variety of reasons:  maybe you are impatient about things getting going and step in while others drag their heals, or they’re just going on about their lives not noticing a deadline is looming…but you do…and maybe it’s simply your natural leadership style of initiation that gets you in these unexpected leadership roles.  

So you assume the role of leader, but should you get verbal opposition, you get frustrated, especially if you’re doing most of the work and others are merely offering opinions.  At this point you really wonder how you got where you are and yet you don’t “say no” because you’re committed to the outcome.  So how can you be more competent in this role once you’ve taken it on?

Here are 6 tips that I’ve learned from the trenches, to help you out in these situations:

1.  Don’t cast yourself as the victim–you poked your head up and took it on.  Now be ready to be an excellent communicator of each idea and action step and recognize there will be others who won’t align 100%, or at least at first.  Make them your favorite ally by keeping them particularly in the loop and applauding the ideas they have that forward the action.  Hear any disgruntledness with an open mind and a curious, “hmm, that’s a thought…” and try not to show your agreement or disagreement at those times.  Let the others in the group help sway them to what works best at the final decision time.

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