The Lateral Challenge: Why leading your peers is harder than leading your team

Working with your peers can be one of the hardest parts of leadership. You may have no authority over them, yet you still need their support to get things done and sometimes you're competing with those same people for promotions, resources, or influence.

In today’s episode, Stacey and Cade explore why leading sideways requires a different skill set than leading up or down. They unpack the tension between cooperation and competition, why being competent isn't always enough to earn a peer's support, and how likability, reciprocity, and trust shape our ability to influence without authority.

Key takeaways:

Peer relationships are both cooperative and competitive.Being good to work with can matter more than being the most competent.Build reciprocity before you need something from a peer.Address tension through direct and honest communication.

Chapters

00:01 — Why leading your peers is so difficult

05:16 — When cooperation and competition collide

12:51 — Competent jerks and lovable fools

18:21 — The power of reciprocity

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