Have you ever found yourself in the situation when someone at work is trying to sabotage your work? There are signs or behaviors that a team member is undermining your leadership. You cannot really put your finger on it, but comments said, or answers not given, tasks not completed, rumors spread – reveal their bad intentions.  The person does not want you to succeed, or they see you as a threat. They are questioning your professionalism and leadership.  Perhaps even hurting your reputation.

The situation is difficult – to state the obvious.  Ignoring it is not the best solution as then you have no influence on the outcome. And it will likely cause you more stress. Ignorance, of course,  gives the bad actor room to continue with their sabotage. 

What would you do?  What have you done in a similar situation?

Assume the positive. If a person is ignoring your requests, not answering urgent emails, or completing assignments – try to understand why. Are their valid reasons behind the neglect that are not malicious? A private crises perhaps?

Manage your own reaction to the person’s bad behavior.  You want to get your emotions in a constructive place.  That anger, disappointment, and fear you are experiencing – understand them and channel them into actions that will help you.  The saboteur wants you to question yourself, your competence, and your leadership skills – don’t let that happen.  Remind yourself of why you are in this position in the first place – because you deserve it.  Because you are good at what you do.  They are sabotaging you because they are afraid of you.

Next, try to look at the situation as objectively as possible.   Describe the behaviors that bother you in detail.  Note them down because our memory is selective and over time what we recall changes as it is filtered by our emotions and biases.  Perhaps ask a trusted colleague what their perspective is of the person’s behavior. Are they seeing what you are seeing?  Do you understand what lies beneath their behavior?  The better you understand your “saboteur” the more impactful your response.  

Sometimes it can be helpful to work with a coach to deconstruct a situation like this, to help you manage your emotions,  and to find your best response.

When you have evidence for your suspicions and you are ready to do something, here are a few suggestions:  

1. Keep them (the saboteur) close – Know what they are doing.
2. Call out obvious unprofessional behavior – keep them accountable.
3. Enlist support – your peers, HR, ethics department, your own supervisor, your team.
4. Monitor and document obvious unprofessional behavior.
5. Create a trusting and transparent environment in the team.  The more trust and transparency there is in the team, the less room there is for toxic behaviors to take root and flourish. Conspiracies thrive in fear.  

There are no one-size-fits-all solutions for a situation like this. You will likely need to try different approaches depending on the context, the culture, and your position.

“Show respect to people who don’t even deserve it; not as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of yours.” DAVE WILLIS