Stakeholder management encompasses the systematic identification, analysis, prioritization, and engagement of individuals, groups, or organizations that can affect or be affected by a project, initiative, or business decision. Rooted in project management, corporate governance, and organizational behavior, it balances competing interests, manages expectations, and builds collaborative relationships that enable strategic objectives. Unlike traditional command-and-control approaches, modern stakeholder management recognizes that long-term success requires earning trust, navigating resistance, and aligning diverse perspectives—treating stakeholders not as obstacles to overcome but as partners whose buy-in determines whether initiatives succeed or stall. The discipline operates at the intersection of communication strategy, influence tactics, and relationship psychology: identifying who holds power, understanding what they value, and designing engagement approaches that transform passive observers into active supporters.