Why the fire matters for project leaders
Every project manager eventually faces “the fire”: a high-stakes moment where conflict, competing priorities, or uncertainty threatens to derail the work. It could be a tough conversation with stakeholders, a clash between cross-functional teams, or pressure from leadership to deliver the impossible.
Most of us instinctively avoid these situations. But the best project leaders know the fire is where real leadership shows up. It’s not about avoiding conflict — it’s about being able to stay calm, clear-headed, and values-driven when the heat rises.
Lessons from HR Professional Project Managers
On Wear Your Cape to Work, HR leader Agatha Agbanobi, founder and principal consultant of ResonantHR, described her superpower as being comfortable close to the fire. She’s learned to thrive in conflict instead of running from it. For her, staying in the fire means:
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Facing conflict directly with empathy and people skills
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Keeping equity and values at the center of decisions
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Guiding organizations to connect HR and DEIB work to broader business goals
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Standing firm when others would rather look away
These are the same skills project managers need when initiatives get messy, political, or emotionally charged.
What the fire looks like in project management
For project leaders, the fire can take many forms:
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Team conflict. Developers and business stakeholders clashing over priorities.
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Shifting goals. A sponsor changes scope mid-project, leaving teams frustrated.
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Resource constraints. Competing projects strain capacity, forcing tough trade-offs.
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Cultural challenges. Distributed teams struggle with communication across time zones.
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Executive pressure. Leadership demands results faster than timelines allow.
In these moments, technical skills aren’t enough. The project manager’s ability to remain steady, model calm, and seek resolution is what keeps delivery on track.
How project leaders can build “fire comfort”
Anchor in values. Clarify your guiding principles — transparency, fairness, adaptability — and let them shape your decisions when the pressure is on.
Develop empathy. Listen for what each party really needs, not just what they say.
Frame conflicts as projects. Apply project management skills (scope, timelines, deliverables) to conflict resolution.
Communicate with clarity. In tense moments, vagueness adds fuel. Clear language creates alignment.
Normalize resolution. Set the expectation that conflict is a step toward better outcomes, not something to fear.
Why this matters for the future of work
The role of the project manager is evolving. It’s no longer just about schedules and tasks, it’s about being a strategic partner who can manage people dynamics, foster alignment, and lead through complexity. Those who can step into the fire with confidence will not only deliver better outcomes but also earn greater trust at the executive level.
Getting comfortable in the fire isn’t about enjoying conflict. It’s about having the courage to stay present in difficult situations, the skills to guide people through them, and the vision to turn heat into progress. For project managers and leaders, this may be the defining capability of the next decade.
“There’s so much transformative, beautiful work that can be done in HR when you’re doing it right.” And for her, the key is this superpower: “My superpower is being comfortable close to the fire—helping people work through conflict and tension." -Agathe Agbanobi
👉 Listen to the full episode of Wear Your Cape to Work with Agatha Agbanobi to hear how she’s applying this mindset to HR leadership, DEIB, and values-driven culture.