catch a tiger by the tail

To be involved with someone or something that is powerful and could become troublesome or threatening. Now that I have to work closely with the CEO on this project, I feel like I've caught a tiger by the tail. I know the merger is tanking our reputation, but we can't get out of it without massive financial penalties. We've caught a tiger by the tail, all right. It is becoming increasingly obvious that we have caught a tiger by the tail with our military intervention in this region—it was foolish to get involved, but it would be catastrophic to leave now.