When restructures rewrite the rules overnight
For most product and transformation leaders, the real challenge isn’t in developing the strategy
Most of us were taught how to do this. We’ve studied the frameworks, learnt how to set goals and prioritise, are practiced in the ability to turn data into roadmaps, and so on and so forth. It’s demanding work, but it’s also familiar work. The kind of work that university degrees, MBA’s, and product focused training courses prepare us for. Crafting strategy is never simple. It takes a lot of analysis, good judgment, and the courage to make trade offs when the data is incomplete. Most product and transformation leaders spend long hours wrestling with competing agendas and uncertain futures to land on a direction that makes sense
But if we’re honest, that’s only a small part of the battle. The hardest part begins once the strategy leaves the whiteboard, goes beyond Miro/Mural, gets circulated through the PowerPoint deck, escapes the bubble of the inner circle, and enters the organisation. New stakeholders come out of the woodworks with different or competing priorities, or suddenly restructures move people around and the alliances you had secured are no longer. Teams get distracted, frustrated, scared, or sceptical and the uphill battle begins
It’s here - where strategy collides with shifting people and politics - that leadership is truly tested. Not in whether you can design a plan, but whether you can influence without authority, rebuild trust quickly, and keep momentum alive when the ground keeps moving beneath you
It’s how to navigate the people and politics that come with your jobs
The Turnaround Toolkit for GMs was designed to help product and transformation leaders like you to cut through the noise and build a skill that really matters: navigating the people and politics that come with your jobs. As the technological landscape rapidly changes on us every day, and in an economy where restructures are expected to remain a constant in our organisations for some time, this skill that you’ve never been taught has never become more important. Across the series so far, a few themes have stood out
Politics are relationships in disguise
Politics often feel like a dirty word, but they’re really just the visible signs of competing priorities and relationships under strain. When relationships are strong, decisions are made quickly, trust flows freely, and teams thrive. When they’re weak, conflict festers, progress stalls, and energy drains away. Learning to see politics not as a barrier but as a signal changes the game.
Read more: Why are you seeing politics everywhere in your workplace?
Decision fatigue is real
Leaders make thousands of decisions every single day. The danger isn’t just making the wrong call - it’s exhausting yourself by trying to make every call. The key is knowing which decisions are truly yours to make, and which belong elsewhere. Protecting your decision making energy allows you to focus on the choices that matter most, and empowers others to step up
Read more: Is this decision mine to make?
Not all stakeholders are equal
Trying to influence everyone all the time is a recipe for burnout. Some stakeholders hold decision rights but aren’t engaged. Others are vocal but lack authority. The art lies in knowing where to invest your energy for maximum impact - who to influence deeply, who to keep informed, and who to let go
Read more: Not all stakeholders are equal
Courageous conversations are unavoidable
At some point, you’ll need to tell your boss a project is late or over budget. These moments are painful because they’re emotional - for you and for them. The leaders who succeed are those who prepare, pace the conversation, and create space for shock before moving to solutions. Courageous conversations aren’t about avoiding conflict; they’re about handling it with empathy and clarity
Read more: How to tell your boss your project will be late and it needs more money
Emotions drive performance
Technical blockers can usually be solved. Emotional blockers - anger, frustration, feeling unheard - are far more dangerous. They sap energy, derail progress, and erode trust. Leaders who listen deeply, clear obstacles quickly, and show their teams they have their back builds resilience and loyalty that no strategy alone can deliver
Read more: Why your team is angry and how it’s derailing your progress
Influence is multi-sensory
Influence isn’t just about words. It’s about the whole environment you create. The way you listen. The music in the room. Even the subtle power of touch. These cues shape trust, mood, and performance in ways we often underestimate. Leaders who understand this can create spaces where people feel safe, inspired, and ready to act
Read more: Are you really listening?, How music influences people and performance, and How touch shapes trust and influence
Attention is the new currency
Executives are bombarded with competing priorities. Winning their attention isn’t about shouting louder - it’s about clarity, brevity, and relevance. Leaders who can connect their message to what matters most to executives cut through the noise and secure the sponsorship their projects need
Read more: How to win the attention of your executives
Communication is connection
At its heart, influence is about communicating in a way that inspires action. It’s not about pushing harder; it’s about connecting deeper. Leaders who can communicate with empathy, clarity, and inspiration don’t just get their message across - they move people to act
Read more: What to do when nobody is listening, and How to communicate in a way that connects, inspires, and influences
Why this matters now, more than ever
In today’s economy, constant restructuring has become the norm. Teams are reshuffled, leaders move on, and colleagues you’ve relied on to get things done are suddenly gone. The trusted relationships you’ve built over years can disappear overnight. In this environment, authority is fragile - but influence endures
When you know how to influence effectively, you’re not dependent on a single relationship or reporting line. You can rebuild trust quickly, establish credibility with new stakeholders, and keep momentum alive even as the organisational chart shifts beneath your feet. Influence is what allows you to adapt, stabilise your team, and continue delivering impact when everything else feels uncertain
Or maybe you’ve just taken on a new role, inheriting a team and an organisation that has been riding the rollercoaster of constant restructures and underperformance as a consequence. You need to get to know the people and politics quickly, get to the heart of the issues derailing progress, and rapidly turn the situation around
Your next step
This November, I invite you to join me for Influencing for Impact, a practical 2-day workshop designed specifically for product and transformation leaders like you who want to influence a decision maker, influence a change in customer or colleague behaviour, or influence someone to buy something from you
Together, we’ll translate the lessons learnt from the Turnaround Toolkit for GMs series so far and apply them to your context using your live scenarios. Walk away with an action plan on how to navigate the people and politics that come with your job, and make progress in the areas you’ve been feeling uneasy about, or are frustrated with, by answering the questions:
Who do you need to influence?
What do they care about?
How do you find out what they care about?
How do you bridge the gap between what you care about and what they care about?
What are the common emotional and psychological barriers to influencing for impact?
Book your place in the November public workshops today, or organise a private workshop for the product and transformation leaders in your company
When you learn to influence with clarity, confidence, and conviction, you don’t just move projects forward; you move people forward. That’s the real work of leadership; especially in turbulent times like this