I clearly remember the day when one of my board members said, “I don’t know that I can continue to serve on this board if he continues to be so disruptive.” I realized I had waited too long. I had so been hoping the problem person would magically go away. I was hoping that he would see his antics weren’t playing out for the good of the organization. But no such luck.  It only takes one bad apple…

You know who I’m talking about. The loud mouth Trumps of the world who derail a perfectly productive discussion. The ones who just smother the momentum you’ve started. The ones who are divisive and sometimes even paralyzing because who wants to jump into that hot mess? It’s embarrassing and baffling.

And the real kicker is – you must do something about it.

Yep, someone has to deal with the Donald. Don’t be like the Republican party and not take him seriously, or try to ignore him until it’s so late that a Trump is gaining an insurmountable lead in delegates. Don’t wait until there’s nothing left to do but craft a well-orchestrated end run and try to navigate through very tricky waters.

You may never understand what motivates this board member.

Perhaps they simply like to hear their own voice. They might have no sense of group dynamics and don’t realize the negative effect they’re having on others. They may actually be feeling vulnerable in some way and this is how they mask it. Or maybe they truly are a narcissist as we’ve seen on the national stage. And the more upset they cause, the more joy they get.  It may feel as though there isn’t much you can do to effectively intervene.  However, you still must take control of the situation.

Early on when you see a pattern, be brave enough to address it. The cost to your business could be “YUGE.” Not only might you lose other dedicated members, but you could get thrown off course and the whole organization could lose focus and traction. In addition, your reputation is at stake and once that goes to pot, the ramifications will be long-term and deep. Folks don’t like to play with those who can’t manage their own people. Why allow one person to cause this much disruption?

I certainly understand it’s not easy. I tried a couple things that didn’t work with my Trump-like bully. I spoke with him individually and acknowledged it seemed like he might be frustrated about something, based on the questions he was asking. He denied that and said he was fine, just very curious. I tried to politely point out that there were other avenues to express off-topic items and that trusting his colleagues was part of the deal. He stated he was very busy, traveled a lot, and needed to speak what was on his mind when he thought of it. Result – no change in behavior.

I tried to re-purpose him. I put him in charge of an important project that needed strong leadership where he could be a one-man hero. But without anyone to boss around or belittle, he soon lost interest. Result – no change in behavior.

Finally, tired of being held hostage, the board voted to oust him. Not very fun, but the result? No more Donald-like bullies and a more cohesive team. You could literally feel the calm return to the board room. Beyond the relief we all felt, there was a renewed commitment to the purpose of the organization. The silver lining was that our Trump problem helped us realize the importance of our overall goals. And no one person was bigger than the mission. We were able to ride the wave of new energy and focus for a long time.

Don’t be afraid to address the Trump in your room, or your organization could suffer permanently.

Do you have a Trump story to share below?

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