We have all seen someone try to take undeserved credit for leadership of a project. Or, you step up and do someone else's job for them, but they still want the recognition for the work you did.
Let me share a political maneuver you can use to preserve your position as the project leader.
First and foremost, do a good job. This strategy is only effective for a successful project.
As success becomes imminent, prepare a thoughtful email in which you:
- Declare the project a success
- Heap praise on the project participants. Feel free to exaggerate a bit. Use an vague term like "team" that includes the largest possible number of people including your opponent.
- Say nothing about your opponent or yourself as individuals
Just as the project finishes, send the email to the project participants, your opponent and everyone's managers. Timing is important—your email must appear in the recipients' mailbox before any such email from your opponent. This is why you prepare the email in advance.
The sender of this congratulatory email is the apparent project leader. You get credit for your leadership by merely sending the email, not by boasting about your achievements.
Someone will reply with a congratulatory email praising you in return. This cements your position as leader.
Now if your opponent wants to counterattack, they cannot attack just you. They must attack the entire team and all their success. They must refute the responses congratulating you. Only the most unworthy opponent would dare attempt this.
Photo credit: 2005 knife throwing competition in Pullman City, Germany.
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