- Kevin Sanders
- Nov 1
- 6 min read
November 1, 2025
Read Time - 4 minutes
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.”
— Groucho Marx
Every office has a little hallway chatter — it’s part of how culture breathes.
But sometimes those conversations can turn into more than that.
Early in my faculty career, I watched one of those situations unfold.
A senior professor — who happened to be the official mentor of a new colleague stepping into a leadership role — began quietly sharing his “concerns.”
He'd stop by offices, lower his voice, and say:
“I just worry this position might be too much for them right now.”
“I’m only bringing this up because I care about the future of the program — our students deserve it.”
The language sounded caring.
But the conversations weren’t about how to help, mentor, or guide that colleague toward success.
They were about building a case for them to step down — all without involving them in the discussion.
One private chat turned into several.
Soon, there were closed-door meetings, whispered alliances, and hallway speculation.
By the time the junior faculty member was told there was “concern” about their leadership, they were blindsided. Most of the building already knew — and many minds were already made up.
And the senior faculty member ultimately succeeded in getting them to step down.
If you think that sounds more like manipulation than mentorship, I would agree with you.
The experience taught me this: there are truly no winners in those moments — not the person targeted, not the bystanders, and certainly not the culture.
👉 This is the fourth installment in my series on conflict in higher ed. In Week 1, we explored how skilled leaders notice conflict before reacting. Week 2 looked at the Direct Types (conflict that explodes), week 3 the Indirect Types (conflict that hides), and now the Control Types (conflict that shapes).
The Leadership Takeaway
Control-style conflict is rarely about the stated issue. It’s often about power, influence, and narrative.
And that’s what makes it challenging — it doesn’t storm into the room like the Direct Types or hide in silence like the Indirect ones.
It lives in the gray area — in side conversations, expert monologues, and subtle positioning.
For leaders, these moments can feel like quicksand: every move risks being misread, and the more you try to manage the personalities, the deeper you sink.
If you only debate the surface topic, you’ll miss what’s really going on underneath.
The real work is to:
Name what’s happening. Call out the pattern — calmly, factually — before it becomes the story.
Re-center the group on process. Use structure, transparency, and shared criteria to bring influence back to the table instead of the hallway.
Keep outcomes from being hijacked by personality or politics. Anchor decisions in clear values and visible reasoning so everyone can see how and why a call was made.
The goal isn’t to silence strong voices or discourage expertise — it’s to ensure that influence flows through fair process, not informal power.
Each of the Control Types you’ll see next—the Sage, the Splitter, and the Politician—represents a different way this dynamic shows up.
Recognizing which one you’re dealing with helps you respond without personalizing the politics.
Because when leaders stay transparent, steady, and grounded in process, control loses its leverage — and collaboration can take its place.
The Control Types (and How to Respond)
1. The Sage
Uses expertise as authority and/or insists their way is the only way.
Impact: Dominates with expertise, corrects others, frames disagreement as ignorance.
Why It Matters: When knowledge turns into hierarchy, collaboration disappears — and others stop contributing.
How to Respond:
Acknowledge expertise, then pivot: “That’s one helpful perspective. Let’s hear from others.”
Set boundaries on scope — what’s in and out of their lane.
Use structured decision-making so authority rotates instead of resting with one voice.
Leadership Cue: Respect their knowledge, but protect the process. Expertise deserves influence — not ownership.
2. The Splitter
Builds alliances, spreads narratives, and quietly divides the room into “us vs. them.”
Impact: Fractures trust and turns healthy disagreement into factional loyalty.
Why It Matters: Splitters shift focus from issues to alliances. The louder the group identities become, the harder it is to find shared ground.
How to Respond:
Increase transparency — keep discussions and rationales public.
Break false binaries: “This isn’t either/or — let’s explore both/and.”
Reconnect people around shared purpose, not sides.
Leadership Cue: Transparency is the antidote to manipulation. Sunlight ends shadow campaigns.
3. The Politician
Uses relationships and visibility to maintain influence — often more focused on optics than outcomes. Their power comes from proximity, not process.
Impact: Turns collaboration into calculation, aligning with whoever seems most powerful in the moment.
Why It Matters: Politics can replace purpose. They align with influence, shape narratives, and steer discussions subtly toward personal gain. Their engagement can look productive — but it subtly redirects trust and focus toward personal gain. Over time, collaboration turns into competition, and decisions reflect politics more than principle.
How to Respond:
Redirect to purpose: “That’s a good point. Let’s focus on the decision in front of us.”
Pair visibility with responsibility — invite them to lead or implement what they propose.
Keep norms visible so influence flows through process, not persuasion.
Leadership Cue: Politics feed on ambiguity. Clarity is your quiet countermeasure.
📄 Need a cheat sheet?
Download Leading Through Conflict: The Control Types — a free one-page field guide with profiles, warning signs, and sample language you can use in the moment.
Try This Before Friday
Hallway influence thrives when people don’t have the same information.
One person shares a partial story, another fills in the gaps — and before long, rumor becomes reality.
You can stop that cycle with one simple habit: share the facts yourself.
After your next meeting, send a short follow-up that:
Summarizes what was discussed
Clarifies what was decided (and what wasn’t)
Lists next steps
👉 “Thanks to everyone who contributed today. Here’s a quick recap so we’re all on the same page…”
It may seem small, but clear, consistent communication is how leaders neutralize politics and build trust — one recap at a time.
Over time, this habit signals something powerful — that leadership decisions live in the open, not in whispers.
Bottom Line
Control-style conflict isn’t about noise — it’s about narrative.
It happens when influence outweighs integrity, and when decisions start forming in hallways instead of meeting rooms.
Skilled leaders recognize it early. They know you can’t eliminate politics, but you can neutralize it — by tightening the systems that make influence transparent.
That means:
✅ Clarify process — so no one can claim “we weren’t consulted.”
✅ Document decisions — so rationale replaces rumor.
✅ Balance visibility with accountability — if someone wants the spotlight, tie it to outcomes.
✅ Reconnect people around shared purpose — remind them what’s bigger than individual preferences.
And maybe most importantly — remember that calm doesn’t mean passive.
A healthy culture doesn’t avoid disagreement; it channels it through clear, predictable processes that earn trust over time.
When you model that kind of steadiness, even the manipulators lose traction — because their tactics only work in the dark.
Thanks for reading!
I’ll see you next Saturday!
P.S. The best leaders don’t eliminate conflict — they design systems that make it manageable.
If you’re ready to create those systems in your department or school, this is the work I help leaders do every week. Send me a note and let’s start clarifying your next steps.
Coming Up Next
So far, we’ve looked at how conflict explodes, hides, and shapes.
Next week, we’ll close the series with the real work of leadership: prevention.
We’ll explore how to set expectations, design systems, and model communication patterns that stop conflict from taking root — so your culture stays clear, calm, and collaborative.
Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
1.) Get the free guide: Your First 14 Days. A clear, practical playbook for new leaders navigating their first two weeks in higher ed leadership. 2.) Coaching for New Academic Leaders: A focused 1:1 coaching experience for higher ed professionals who want to lead with clarity, build smarter systems, and stay centered on what matters most. I work with a limited number of clients each quarter to provide highly personalized, strategic support. Send me a message. 3.) Professional Development Workshops: Interactive sessions for faculty, staff, and leadership teams that help reduce conflict, streamline decision-making, and shift culture with smart systems. Virtual and in-person options available. Sessions tailored to your campus needs. |