One of the tough realities of leadership is the presence of antagonist in the organization. While small in number, they consume an inordinate amount of a leader’s time and attention. Their objectives are to cause disruption and control the organization.

Unfortunately, they are particularly adept in building coalitions of the disenchanted and mobilizing them for action. For the leader, these individuals cause significant heartache and stress. It seems that non-profit organizations are particularly vulnerable to the presence of an antagonist. The question for leaders is how to deal with them effectively?

Recently, I have been reading a book titled Antagonist In The Church by William Haugk. This is a great resource for all leaders even if you are not a church leader. William Haugk provides guidance to church leaders on how to deal with the reality of antagonist and provides tips on how to effectively deal with them.

Haugk defines antagonist as, “Individuals who, on the basis of non-substantive evidence, go out of their way to make insatiable demands, usually attacking the person or performance of others. These attacks are selfish in nature, tearing down rather than building up, and are frequently directed against those in a leadership capacity.”

Question: What is your experience with antagonists?

Written by Jay Vineyard