The Duke's Feast

The Generous Hosts

Midway through their adventures, Don Quixote and Sancho arrive at the estate of a Duke and Duchess. The hosts are charming. They welcome the knight with open arms, call him “great knight,” and promise to support his every quest.

Quixote is thrilled. Finally—stakeholders who believe!

But Sancho senses something off. The Duke and Duchess aren’t believers. They’ve read about Quixote’s adventures and find him hilarious. Every “quest” they arrange is a prank designed for their amusement. They nod along, provide resources, and quietly laugh behind his back.

Quixote leaves the estate having accomplished exactly nothing—but convinced he has powerful allies.

The PM Version

You’ve been in this meeting.

Spend enough time in organizations and you’ll learn to recognize the species.

There’s the one who responds to every pitch with “Love it. Totally aligned. You have my full support”—warm-blooded, enthusiastic, seemingly committed. Check back in two weeks: no resources allocated, no blockers removed, no decisions made. The support was verbal only. This species thrives in conference rooms and vanishes the moment you need something concrete.

Then there’s the one observed in group settings—nods vigorously, says “great plan” and “makes total sense,” and returns to their own priorities the moment the meeting ends. Nothing changes. But the meeting minutes say “aligned.” In the wild, you’ll find them wherever consensus is declared but never tested.

Watch for the one who champions your initiative publicly—great in all-hands presentations, name-dropped in leadership reviews. Behind the scenes, their team is working on something completely different. A sponsor in name only, identifiable by the gap between what they say in rooms you’re in and what they do in rooms you’re not.

Finally, the most common variety: the one who says “send me the deck, I’ll review it this week.” The deck sits unopened. You follow up. “Oh yes, it looks great. Maybe a few tweaks.” The tweaks never come. Neither does actual engagement. This species is everywhere and almost always harmless—until you mistake its pleasantries for partnership.

They all look like support. None of them are.

What Actually Works

Sancho eventually figured out the Duke’s game. Here’s what he learned:

1. Test the Support

Don’t accept verbal alignment. Test it. Sancho would ask: “So, my lord, can I have that in writing? With a date?”

In practice: After a stakeholder says “I support this,” ask for something specific: a resource, a decision, an email to their team. If support evaporates when you ask for something concrete, it was never real.

2. Watch Calendars, Not Words

The Duke said Quixote was his priority. His calendar said otherwise.

The test: Is your initiative on their OKRs? Are they giving it time, people, or budget? If not, you have verbal support—which is worth exactly nothing.

3. Build a Coalition, Not a Fan Club

Quixote wanted one powerful sponsor. Sancho built relationships with the servants, the cooks, the stable hands—the people who actually got things done.

In practice: One enthusiastic VP matters less than three engaged mid-level leaders who can actually allocate resources and make day-to-day decisions.

4. Name the Gap Early

Sancho eventually told Quixote: “Master, I don’t think the Duke is actually helping us.” It was uncomfortable. It was also true.

The rule: When you see a gap between stated support and actual action, name it. Not aggressively—but clearly. “We agreed on X, but I’m noticing Y hasn’t happened. What’s blocking us?”

Signs Your Stakeholders Are Dukes

Watch for these patterns:

• Lots of enthusiasm, no follow-through—the energy in the room doesn’t match the work after
• Always “aligned” but never available—they agree to everything but show up to nothing
• Delegating their commitment to you—“I support it—you drive it” (translation: I won’t help)
• Public support, private indifference—great in meetings, absent in execution

Each is a Duke throwing you a feast while nothing gets done.

Before Your Next Stakeholder Meeting

Prepare for the patterns you already know are coming:

• When a stakeholder says “you have my full support,” say: “Great—can you send that email to your team by Friday so they know to prioritize it?”
• When someone agrees to the roadmap but doesn’t offer resources, say: “What specifically can your team take on in the next two weeks to move this forward?”
• When you hear “let me review the deck,” say: “I’d rather get 15 minutes on your calendar to walk through it together—what works this week?”

Turning verbal support into concrete action is the whole game.

The Real Supporters

The best stakeholders aren’t the loudest cheerleaders. They’re the ones who quietly remove a blocker on Tuesday, send the difficult email on Wednesday, and show up to the review on Thursday.

Look for the Sanchos, not the Dukes. Support that shows up in actions, not applause.

Put this into practice

Align stakeholders who actually act. The Stakeholder Map helps you identify who’s a Duke and who’s a real ally.

Get the Template →