Leading without power – yet still delivering results.
Careertrainer.ai for Project Managers
As a project manager, you bear responsibility without having direct authority. You need to persuade individuals who do not report to you. Practice the conversations that determine the success or failure of your projects.
Responsibility without the right of intervention
You are responsible for the project outcome, but the team members report to others. You need resources, but you don't have control over budgets. You have deadlines, but no authority to enforce them.
Your only tool: communication. You must persuade, negotiate, and secure commitments—without relying on hierarchy. This is more challenging than traditional leadership, and it is not taught anywhere.
The various facets of lateral leadership
Project management takes many forms – the challenge of leading without authority remains.
IT Project Manager
Developers coordinate with expertise that surpasses yours.
- Managing technical experts without authority
- Conduct scope discussions with Product Owners.
- Resolve resource conflicts with line managers.
- Defend deadlines without being authoritarian.
Change Project Manager
Implementing change in people who are resistant.
- Addressing resistance without the power to enforce it.
- Convincing stakeholders at all levels.
- Winning and retaining multipliers
- Making successes visible despite headwinds
Product Project Manager
Leading cross-functional teams to launch.
- Bringing Marketing, Sales, and Tech Together
- Moderating prioritization conflicts
- Defend launch dates across departmental boundaries.
- Ensure quality without Quality Gate constraints.
External Project Manager / Consultant
Leading teams as an outsider
- Building acceptance as a non-employee
- Navigate internal politics without being part of it.
- Being able to speak unpopular truths
- Transfer knowledge without coming across as patronizing.
The unique challenges for project managers
Leading without authority presents its own challenges:
Commitment without hierarchy
You need 100% commitment from people you can't evaluate. How do you achieve genuine dedication instead of polite nodding? How do you hold individuals accountable who are not directly reporting to you?
Resource conflicts with line managers
The developer is supposed to work 80% on your project, but their manager keeps pulling them away. You have no power—only arguments. How do you navigate this conversation without damaging the relationship?
Stakeholders with diverse interests
Marketing wants to launch quickly, Tech prioritizes quality, and Finance aims to save. Everyone has power, everyone has opinions, and everyone is trying to influence you. You need to communicate – without taking sides.
Resistance to change
Your project represents work and uncertainty for others. Naturally, there will be resistance. But you can't force anyone. How do you win over the skeptics?
Deadlines without enforcement power
The date is set, but no one feels accountable. How do you communicate urgency without being annoying? How do you escalate without damaging relationships?
Debt without control
If the project fails, you are held accountable. However, you have no control over resources, priorities, or decisions. How do you handle this asymmetry?
Training lateral leadership
Practice the conversations where you need to persuade without authority.
Choose situation
Resource negotiation, stakeholder alignment, addressing resistance, demanding commitment – choose the conversations that are currently relevant to your project.
Convincing without power
The AI takes on the role of the skeptical stakeholder, the overwhelmed expert, and the line manager who protects their team. You must achieve your goals without hierarchy.
Receive influence feedback
Not just what you said, but how convincing it was. Did you achieve commitment or merely agreement? Did you strengthen the relationship or damage it?
What you gain as a project manager
Build influence, secure commitment, drive projects to success.
Genuine commitment instead of polite agreement.
Learn to recognize if someone is truly committed – and how to move from mere lip service to genuine commitment.
- Commitment techniques without pressure
- Establish commitment without power.
- Follow-up that doesn't annoy
Securing resources
Conduct negotiations with line managers in a way that ensures you get what you need—without straining the relationship.
- Finding win-win arguments
- Understand prioritization from the other person's perspective.
- Escalation as a last resort
Aligning stakeholders
Bringing together diverse interests and finding viable compromises – without being torn apart in the process.
- Understanding Interests Behind Positions
- Identify common goals
- Make decisions
Transform resistance into support.
Skeptics are often the best allies – if you win them over. Learn to take resistance seriously and transform it.
- Validate concerns instead of dismissing them.
- Early engagement instead of late persuasion.
- Making critics into champions
Project managers achieve this through training.
Start with 3 free training sessions and discover how lateral leadership works with the right conversations.
Practice with realistic personalities
Every employee is different – and reacts differently to feedback. Our AI characters are based on the Myers-Briggs model and simulate realistic conversation dynamics: from the insecure junior employee to the critical senior developer.
Lade Charaktere...
Prepared for everything
Practice with introverted, extroverted, defensive, or emotional characters – just like your real employees.→ No surprises in real conversations
Real reactions
The AI becomes emotional, blocks, or opens up – depending on how you conduct the conversation.→ Learn to respond to different reactions
Safe practice space
Test different approaches without consequences. Find out what works – before it matters.→ Making mistakes is allowed
When do companies use Careertrainer.ai?
Five typical scenarios for HR teams and leaders
Onboarding for new leaders
Productivity from week 2 instead of month 6. New leaders practice their first difficult conversations before they have to lead them – from the first feedback conversation to taking over a team. No more learning by doing with real employees.
- Practice first leadership conversations risk-free
- Avoid typical beginner mistakes
- Faster effectiveness in the new role
- Structured onboarding program with progress tracking
Our Pricing
Choose the package that fits your needs
Free
Perfect for trying out and getting to know the platform.
- 3 training conversations total
- Access to free scenarios
- Basic feedback after conversations
Basic
Ideal for occasional preparation for important conversations.
- 15 conversations per month
- Access to all standard scenarios
- Detailed performance evaluation
- Progress tracking
- Email support
Pro
For regular training and continuous improvement.
- 40 conversations per month
- Access to all scenarios
- Detailed performance evaluation
- Progress tracking over time
- Personalized learning recommendations
- Priority support
Unlimited
For power users and small teams with intensive training needs.
- Unlimited conversations
- Access to all scenarios
- Detailed performance evaluation
- Progress tracking over time
- Personalized learning recommendations
- Create your own scenarios
- Priority support
For Teams & Organizations
Tailored solutions for your entire organization. Develop leaders according to your company guidelines.
Book personal demo- Everything from the Unlimited plan, plus:
- Customizable company policies and leadership guidelines
- Company-specific scenario development
- HR analytics dashboard
- Dedicated account manager
- Single Sign-On (SSO) integration
- Volume discounts for teams
More Target Groups
Discover more target groups and find the right solution.
