Building coalitions that last: turning situational alignment into enduring alliances
Beyond the quick alliance
It’s easy to form a quick alliance for a single initiative. You gather allies, align on a goal, and push until the project is complete. But too often, those quick alliances dissolve once the immediate need passes
The leaders who thrive don’t just build temporary alliances. They build coalitions that last. They build durable networks of trust, reciprocity, and shared purpose that outlive any single project. These coalitions become a source of resilience, influence, and momentum across your product and transformation career
Why lasting coalitions matter
A coalition is more than a project team. It’s a political ecosystem. It has:
resilience. When priorities shift, your coalition adapts with you
efficiency. You don’t have to rebuild trust from scratch every time
influence. A strong coalition amplifies your voice in decision making
legacy. Coalitions outlast roles, restructures, and even organisations
The difference between alliances and coalitions
Alliances are useful. Coalitions are powerful. Alliances can be seen as more transactional in nature - “I’ll support you on this if you support me on that” - whereas coalitions can be seen as being more relational - “we share values, trust, and a long term interest in seeing each other succeed”
The building blocks of a lasting coalition are:
shared purpose. A unifying vision that transcends individual projects
trust. Built through reliability, discretion, and fairness
reciprocity. A pattern of mutual support, not one off favours
diversity. Members from different functions, levels, and perspectives
resilience. The ability to adapt as contexts and priorities shift
Example 1: The cross-functional coalition
A Chief Transformation Officer built a coalition of product, operations, and HR leaders who were focused on the shared purpose of “making change stick.” These were the people who were sick of seeing significant amounts of money, time, and resources being wasted every year when they could be put to work on much more valuable initiatives
These were the people who had seen multiple large scaled transformations fail because leaders failed to implement the proper change management protocols to ensure people impacted by the changes didn’t just go back to what they were used to after the transformation was called a success and people had moved on to the next shiny new thing
Over time, they supported each other’s initiatives, shared resources, and defended each other in executive forums when blockers put pressure on them to cut the budgets, timelines, and resources to exclude any change management protocols that ensured a sustainable adoption of their initiatives and increased the probability of a positive return on their investment
Lesson: shared purpose creates longevity
Example 2: The reciprocity loop
A Chief Product Officer consistently offered her coalition members visibility in executive and board updates. In return, they championed her initiatives in their own forums. This reciprocity created a loop of mutual benefit that strengthened over time whilst propelling their respective careers forward at speed
Lesson: reciprocity compounds influence
Example 3: The fragile alliance
A General Manager in Strategy and Transformation built an alliance to push through a controversial policy. Once the policy passed, the alliance dissolved. Over time, the controversial policy had been unwound because there was no enduring support for it when it needed to be defended. When he needed support later for another controversial policy change, no one felt invested because their alliance had long gone and they had seen what happened to the other controversial policy they helped push through
Lesson: alliances without trust don’t endure
How to build a coalition that lasts
In some ways, building coalitions that last is like building high performing teams. They aren’t set and forget but their establishment and maintenance need to be centred around a handful of basic principles to act as guardrails:
define the shared purpose. What unites you beyond a single project? Frame it in terms of values and long term outcomes
choose members strategically. Include diverse functions and perspectives. Balance formal authority with informal influence
invest in trust. Deliver results consistently, keep confidences, and act with fairness even when it’s inconvenient
create reciprocity loops. Support each other visibly, share credit generously, and ask for help selectively and strategically
sustain the coalition. Meet regularly, even outside of the immediate project activities that you’re involved with. Celebrate shared wins and adapt the coalitions purpose as the context shifts
Beyond the basic principles, coalitions can be further strengthened by:
anchoring them in values. Coalitions built on values (e.g. fairness, innovation, customer) endure longer than those built on tactics
institutionalising them. Create forums, rituals, or working groups that give the coalition structure and a place in the organisation
cross pollinating. Introduce coalition members to each other’s networks, expanding their reach
protecting the coalition. Defend members when they’re under pressure. Loyalty builds resilience
Common mistakes leaders make
Because of the often organic and informal nature of coalitions, product and transformation leaders can make common mistakes like:
over relying on one person. We all know that person who is the glue of the group. The one who holds the group together and without them it is likely to stagnate or fall apart. An enduring coalition needs breadth, not dependence
neglecting to maintain it. Coalitions fade if you only engage them when you need something. Once people feel that it’s transactional, they will only engage when they need to take. The generosity of giving or the core principle of reciprocity will not apply in this situation
confusing visibility with trust. Being seen together isn’t the same as being invested in each other’s success when the pressure is on
failing to adapt. Coalitions that don’t evolve with the organisation and its strategy become irrelevant
Durability without rigidity
Coalitions must be durable, but not rigid. They need to adapt as people change roles, as strategies shift, and as new stakeholders emerge. The best product and transformation leaders:
keep the coalition alive between projects
refresh membership as needed
anchor in shared purpose, not personal agendas
balance visibility with discretion
Example 4: The coalition that outlived a role
A General Manager in Product left her organisation but maintained her coalition through informal networks and industry forums. Years later, when she launched a new venture, her coalition became her first set of advisors and clients
Lesson: coalitions can transcend organisations. Build them before you need them
Your homework for this week
Who are the five people you’d want in your coalition for the next five years? What shared purpose could unite you?
Things you could do to help you with this:
identify your current alliances. Which could evolve into coalitions?
define a shared purpose that transcends a single initiative
invest in trust and reciprocity with 2-3 key stakeholders
create a regular forum (formal or informal) to sustain the coalition
revisit and refresh the coalition every 6-12 months
Why this matters
Temporary alliances win short term battles. Enduring coalitions win long term wars
Coalitions give you resilience when priorities shift, influence when decisions are contested, and legacy when roles change. They are the ultimate expression of political savvy because they turn short term alignment into long term endurance
The product and transformation leaders who thrive aren’t just good at building alliances. They’re masters at building coalitions that last
Want to turn situational alliances into enduring alliances that outlive your current role and propel your product and transformation career forward?
Let’s work on this together. Here are three ways:
Influencing for Impact: This practical 2-day workshop is for you if you want to influence a decision maker, influence a change in customer or colleague behaviour, or influence someone to buy something from you
Executive and Leadership Team Coaching: Work directly with Lai-Ling to problem solve for your specific situation in a confidential setting. This is for you if you want to develop and execute on a game plan that is 100% tailored to you
Leadership Development: Invest in the product and transformation leaders in your company with leadership development that is customised for their role. This is for you if you want your people to learn about people and politics