Anyone can experience adversarial behavior at work, but when adversarial behavior occurs between members of the leadership team, it can have severe consequences. Initially, these behaviors may manifest as attempts to suppress or obstruct an executive’s actions. However, they can escalate to more serious levels resulting in serious personal and professional consequences for the targeted executive. Executives can take several strategic actions to counter a negative narrative. The most productive approach is to develop a positive counter-narrative based on concrete facts and figures that can be used throughout the organization.

Here are specific actions executives can take:

Shift Focus to the Narrative: Instead of solely reacting to adversarial behavior, executives should actively focus on countering the negative narrative that may be taking root. An interviewed CFO noted that they initially focused on combating adversarial behavior but realized the negative narrative was the more significant issue undermining them.

Develop a Positive Counter Narrative: This involves creating a narrative grounded in concrete facts and figures that highlights the executive’s positive contributions and effectiveness. This narrative should be adaptable for communication at all levels within the organization.

Employ Diplomatic Deflection: One successful strategy involves a 5-step process for diplomatically deflecting negative narratives:

• Acknowledge the concern: Begin by acknowledging the concern or reservation being expressed. For example, stating, “Handling the pressures at the C-suite level is indeed demanding, and it’s natural to have reservations about someone’s readiness for that environment”.
• Reframe the narrative: Shift the focus from the concern to your primary focus and strengths. For example, “My primary focus is not just managing pressure but generating concrete results. That’s where I consistently direct my efforts”.
• Highlight achievements: Provide specific examples of your accomplishments and the positive outcomes driven by your work. For instance, “Delivering (e.g., the market expansion or business optimization) and driving (e.g., revenue growth or market share increase) is my main concern, which is why you can already see our teams delivering (e.g., increased quarterly profits, enhanced customer satisfaction scores and improved operational efficiency)”.
• Refocus on results: Emphasize the importance of a results-oriented approach in leadership, especially in high-pressure environments. For example, “Leadership in high-pressure environments demands a result-oriented approach”.
• Reinforce commitment to the business: Reiterate your dedication to the overall performance and success of the corporation. For example, “While every executive has their own approach, my commitment is to corporate performance”.

Strategically Build a Supportive Coalition: To effectively counter a negative narrative, it is crucial to build a strong coalition within the organization. This involves several steps:

• Hold private conversations: Engage in 1:1 or small group discussions with your existing network to share your perspective and gather feedback on how to respond to the negative narrative.
• Discuss hypotheticals with mentors: Seek advice from trusted mentors by discussing potential scenarios and the political implications of addressing the narrative.
• Seek positive narratives and endorsements: Proactively ask allies to highlight your positive contributions and secure smaller, publicly visible endorsements within the company to build a positive reputation that can counteract the negative narrative.

Recognize When to Leave: In situations where corporate gaslighting and the associated negative narrative are deeply ingrained in the company culture, leaving the company might be the most viable option to protect your reputation and career.

By focusing on developing and disseminating a fact-based positive counter-narrative, strategically building support, and being prepared to deflect negative commentary, executives can take proactive steps to address and overcome negative narratives within their organizations.