Every leader I know has to contend with challenging personalities. It is an area I have had particularly good success with. Not because I have a soft spot in my heart, but because I have framework that helps me know how much to invest and lays out a set of viable options.

The stronger a leader you are, the more you will have detractors—those who think you are on the wrong track and take up forces against you. They can be dealt with effectively. This includes those who say or demonstrate through their behavior:
•    I don’t care about you, your program, or what you do.
•    Nothing works in this awful place. Every initiative including yours is doomed to fail.
•    I don’t like you or what you stand for, and I will take you down when I get the chance.

First, remember what you are doing. Your aim is success, not personal warfare. If you degenerate into personal warfare, you and your program will suffer as a consequence.

If you find yourself drawn in emotionally, you need to take care of yourself so you can help those around you. If you are overtaken with animosity in response, you have become ensnared in an emotional diversion and are no longer leading.

To decide how important it is to engage the person who is treating you with indifference, cynicism, or animosity, use my RISK/ROI matrix. Risk represents the possibility that this person will turn against you. Low risk means that it is unlikely he or she will attempt to inflict damage. High risk means they will likely come after you or your program.

ROI represents the potential value or destruction this person can generate. Low ROI means that if you win his or her support, the resulting positive impact is minimal. Likewise, if you lose their support, the damage they inflict is negligible. High ROI means that you could win big if you garner buy-in, or lose big if you suffer its loss.  Let’s look at each of the quadrants in my matrix:

Quadrant 1: Low risk, Low ROI   
There is little chance these folks pose a threat. If you win them and their support, the benefit is small. Leave them alone.

Quadrant 2: Low risk, High ROI   
These people are not likely to attack, and yet represent significant rewards or damage. Engage them. Invest in winning them over. Failing that, try to build a relationship with them. Even without their full support, there is a good deal to be gained by having their trust.

Quadrant 3: High risk, Low ROI 
These are prone to aggressively come after you or your program, yet there is little to be gained or lost from winning or losing their support. Devote your efforts to other priorities.

Quadrant 4: High risk, High ROI   
Here you have people who are likely to try to inflict damage on your program but can provide significant returns if they are converted. Even if you only partially win them over (perhaps they support one part of your program, but not another), they can bring real benefits. They are a priority. Do what you can to build a working relationship. Look for special or unique opportunities to align your objectives and their interest.

It seems intuitive, but it is not how most leaders treat their stakeholders. They tend to invest worry, time, and energy in those that are high risk, rather than where it will pay off: among the high ROI crowd.