Workplace Politics: Unplugged

It’s one of those things we all love to hate, but successful leaders do it well.

I’m talking about workplace politics. You’d be surprised how many times I’ve heard leaders say, “I don’t get involved in politics” or “I hate politics.” The same leaders often struggle in Senior and Executive roles, because organisational politics doesn’t disappear, just because we ignore it. So let’s unplug this topic and talk about a simple technique we use in our Executive Program, to help you be more politically intelligent.

LEARN something.

Many leaders believe that by staying “apolitical” they are being fair, neutral, or principled. To say you avoid politics is like saying you avoid people – it’s not going to work for you as a leader, especially in senior and strategic roles. In fact, to expect a workspace to not have any politics is somewhat of an absurd statement in itself. So let’s first get that myth out of the way. For nearly a century, from the Hawthorne studies in the 1920s to the work of Mayo, Lewin, Schein and others, research has made one thing clear: organisations are not mechanical systems; they are social systems. They are not made up of interchangeable parts that operate logically, but of human beings with emotions, competing interests, informal alliances, power dynamics, and unwritten rules. In any environment where resources are limited, goals differ, and priorities compete (which is all the time), politics inevitably emerges. It is not a flaw in the system, it is the system.

Now I am not denying that there is an ugly side to workplace politics, nor am I denying the real human impact it has on leaders. I have been there myself, and I have seen the impact it has on the leaders we coach and work with today. The unfortunate reality is that good leaders are often the ones who step back from workplace politics, leaving power in the hands of those who may not act in the best interests of the organisation. Which is exactly why, instead of avoiding politics, we need to be politically intelligent to intentionally direct energy, by build coalitions, influence the narrative, understand power levers, and the social dynamics that hinder teamwork and strategic alignment. When leaders reject politics, what they are really doing is forfeiting their influence to those with a bigger voice and alternative agendas. Politics does not disappear when you ignore it. Instead it simply operates without you, and rarely in service of your people or purpose. Good leaders are not political players, they are political stewards. They use influence ethically, transparently, and in service of the collective goal.

REFLECT on an idea.

Pfeffer, in his book Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don’t, puts it bluntly: people do not rise on performance alone. They rise because they understand and work with power dynamics. This isn’t about self-interest. It’s about agency and influence. When leaders fail to engage with power and influence, they leave their organisation vulnerable to those who will abuse it.

SMILE a little.

Work politics is like musical chairs, except when the music stops, we don’t remove a chair. We just rearrange the chairs, assign new titles, and continue playing the same game.

DO IT to get results.

When I transitioned from Engineering to General Management, I quickly realised that the boxes and lines on an Org Chart don’t show who actually holds power and influence. If you want to operate with political intelligence and invest your energy wisely, you need an Influence Chart. This is an exercise we do with leaders as part of our Executive Leadership Program, and no, you don’t need fancy software or AI to do it.

Just grab three highlighters (red, yellow, green) and mark up your current Org Chart to show who holds the real power and influence, who shapes conversations, who moves decisions forward, and who energises (or deflates) the room. Red = most power, Green = least power. Then ask the uncomfortable question: Who am I really influencing? And who do I need to spend more time with? Power rarely lives where the structure says it does. It lives where people go for answers, approval, or protection.

How we can support you and your team.

We provide strategic leadership solutions tailored to align with your business strategy, size, and budget. We can support your with:

• 1:1 Leadership and Performance Coaching
• Team Coaching, for high performing teams
• 1:1 Health & Lifestyle Coaching for busy stressed leaders.
• Workshops, offsites and team development.
• Or our flagship individual Leadership Coaching Programs.

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Kenny Bhosale

CEO & Founder, The Bridge Leaders