Control Freaks do have big egos and enjoy it very much when they are told they are right, important or have done really well.  It’s not sucking up (if you don’t overdo it), but what you will get is them sharing their expertise with you. They will share information and take you under their wing and the other strategies become even easier to use.  They need to feel important and successful, so let them know they are in your eyes.

A good time to try this is during down time or a social occasion, when everyone is relaxed, you can drop into a conversation “I’ve been meaning to ask you;” ‘I really like the way you did…, or you’ve done really well with …., or I’m impressed by how …., then follow it up with ‘If I wanted to do something similar (insert your own words of what it is you want to do), what advice would you give me?’ or ‘how do you think I should go about doing ….?”

You’re telling them first of all that, in your eyes, they have done something very impressive, then asking their advice.  Not only that, if you use the opportunity to present something you want to do, they are likely to support you because it is their advice and then they can’t object to you going ahead – win win!