Organisational politics is ubiquitous. If you think your workplace is without politics, then perhaps you have been blindsided. Everyone has different goals and motives, and alignment is rarely a given. In fact, one may have goals that may not be aligned with the organisation’s. Thus, leaders must learn the appropriate political skills to rally supporters and persuade resisters to “get things done”. More critically, as one ascends the organisational hierarchy, the politics gets messier as the stakes are higher. Perhaps fictional Frank Underwood was right to say: “For those of us climbing to the top of the food chain, there can be no mercy. There is but one rule: Hunt or be hunted.”
