The Influence Game

When teaching graduate students, I'd sometimes hear someone declare, "I hate organizational politics." My response was always the same: get over it, or be prepared to be ineffective. Politics is an essential part of every human organization, and there's simply no avoiding it.

The real questions aren't whether to engage in organizational politics, but how to do so productively, authentically, and purposefully. Intent and activities make the crucial difference between leaders who use politics to achieve great things and those who engage in self serving behavior.

The Senior Level Reality

As you move to more senior organizational levels, politics becomes increasingly important. You need to build alliances both externally, with governments, nonprofits, and social groups, and internally across departments and functions.

These alliances matter because clear answers from data rarely exist for the most important problems organizations face. When authority doesn't get you very far, influence becomes the name of the game. Your ability to build support, create relationships, and mobilize coalitions determines your effectiveness far more than formal power or analytical brilliance.

This reality frustrates many high performing individuals who succeeded in junior roles through technical competence and hard work. The skills that got you promoted often differ dramatically from the skills needed to succeed at senior levels.

Beyond Emotional Intelligence

Political savvy often gets associated with emotional intelligence and the ability to read social situations. These skills matter enormously, but they represent only part of the picture. What often gets missed is the strategic dimension of operating politically in organizations.

Early in my career, I studied international diplomacy and worked with some of the world's great diplomatic minds. They taught me fundamental principles about thinking in terms of alliances and coalitions. The key insight involves analyzing what winning coalition you need to build given the powerful players pursuing their own agendas.

Diplomats understand that sustainable outcomes require broad based support. They map influence networks, identify key stakeholders, and craft strategies that align diverse interests around common objectives. These same principles apply within organizations, where competing priorities and limited resources create similar dynamics.

The Art of Sequencing

Certain tactics can dramatically improve your ability to influence others. One of the most powerful involves sequencing strategy, which requires clear understanding of your stakeholders, their potential support or opposition, and how influence flows through networks.

Effective sequencing means crafting deliberate interaction sequences. You might talk first to one colleague, then to another, recognizing that having the first two on board makes convincing the third much easier. Throughout this process, you must avoid overplaying your hand in ways that threaten potential opponents and mobilize unnecessary resistance.

This approach requires patience and strategic thinking. Instead of rushing to present your ideas to everyone simultaneously, you build momentum systematically. Each conversation creates foundation for the next, and supportive voices begin advocating for your position before you even make formal proposals.

The sequencing strategy works because people rarely make decisions in isolation. They consider what trusted colleagues think, how decisions might affect their relationships, and whether supporting particular initiatives serves their broader interests. Understanding these social dynamics allows you to navigate them skillfully.

Progressive Entanglement

A related concept involves moving people step by step to positions they wouldn't accept in single leaps. This progressive entanglement takes several forms, all focused on gradually building commitment rather than demanding immediate agreement.

Sometimes this means defining fair and transparent processes such that people struggle to argue against outcomes because they participated in creating them. When stakeholders help design decision making frameworks, they become invested in honoring results even when those results don't perfectly align with their initial preferences.

Other times it involves establishing principles that govern subsequent decisions. Instead of fighting individual battles repeatedly, you work to establish broader frameworks that make future decisions more predictable and less contentious.

Progressive entanglement can also mean securing small commitments that naturally lead to larger ones. People tend to act consistently with previous commitments, so initial agreements create psychological momentum toward expanded cooperation.

The Authentic Approach

None of these tactics require deception or manipulation. The most effective political operators combine strategic thinking with genuine concern for organizational success and stakeholder welfare. They understand that sustainable influence requires trust, which depends on consistent authentic behavior over time.

Authenticity in organizational politics doesn't mean sharing every thought or avoiding strategic thinking. It means aligning your political activities with your values and organizational objectives. It means being honest about your intentions while remaining strategic about your methods.

The best political operators also recognize that influence is reciprocal. They help others achieve their objectives while advancing their own. They build reputations for reliability and fairness that make future collaboration easier and more productive.

Building Your Coalition Map

Developing political savvy starts with understanding your organizational ecosystem. Who are the key players? What are their priorities and constraints? How do influence networks operate? Where do formal authority and informal influence align or diverge?

This mapping exercise helps you identify natural allies, potential opponents, and persuadable stakeholders. It reveals whose support you need for different initiatives and what might motivate that support.

Effective coalition building also requires understanding timing. Some stakeholders become more receptive during certain periods or under specific circumstances. Others need time to process ideas before committing to support them.

Making Politics Productive

The goal isn't to become a master manipulator but to channel political realities toward productive outcomes. Organizations benefit when skilled leaders can build consensus around important initiatives, secure resources for valuable projects, and navigate competing interests effectively.

Political skills become especially crucial during times of change, when established routines and relationships face disruption. Leaders who understand how to maintain stability while driving transformation create enormous value for their organizations.

The Long Game

Building political effectiveness takes time and consistent effort. Relationships develop gradually through repeated positive interactions. Trust accumulates through reliable behavior over months and years. Influence grows as people observe your judgment and character in various situations.

This long term perspective shapes how effective political operators approach their daily work. They invest in relationships before needing them. They help others succeed without expecting immediate returns. They build reputations that become assets during challenging periods.

Politics is indeed an essential part of every human organization. The question isn't whether to engage but how to do so effectively and authentically. Master the strategic dimensions of influence while maintaining your integrity, and you'll find yourself capable of achieving far greater impact than authority alone could ever provide.