Are You Political or Politically Savvy? Here’s How to Tell

Many leaders shudder when they realize they have to “play politics.” But what if we learn how to be “politically savvy” instead?

Sometimes, hard work just isn’t enough.

My client Claudia was recently promoted to a senior executive position after 15 years of consistent, high performance in her organization. She’s always believed that keeping her head down, minding her business, and delivering exceptional results was all it took to get ahead — and until this point, she was right.

But, when she started in her new role, Claudia was shocked: Work felt more like being on a reality show than a senior exec team. There was backstabbing and petty behavior. There were power struggles between her boss and her boss’s boss. And Claudia was caught in the middle of it all.

It’s a situation many leaders find themselves in when they realize that being an exceptional performer is only part of the equation. They also have to be mindful of interpersonal power dynamics. — in other words, office politics.

“I hate doing this,” Claudia said, echoing what most of my clients say, too. “I don’t like doing things behind people’s backs. I value integrity and honesty and telling the truth. I don’t want to be political.’

But there’s a difference between being “political” and being “politically savvy” – and the latter doesn’t mean having to compromise on integrity, honesty, or telling the truth.

Here’s how to do that.

? Understand the levers of power.

When she got to the senior executive level, Claudia was blindsided by the organizational landscape — it didn’t look anything like the place she thought she knew. The truth is, an org chart only tells part of the story. Often, power is concentrated in unofficial ways, and relationship dynamics are not listed in email signatures.

I encouraged Claudia to take a helicopter view and survey her company’s “ecosystem.” Who are the key players and stakeholders in different parts of the organization? Who is she in a relationship with them? Who does she need to build stronger relationships with? If you were doing this with your own company, think of it as watching a football game from overhead: Who’s on your “side,” and who can help you advance your team and win?

? Learn the unwritten rules.

Some forces make a much bigger impact than a company’s values and mission statement. These unwritten assumptions, beliefs, norms, and habits determine the “way we do things around here,” and being politically savvy means learning what these rules are and using them to you and your team’s advantage. It’s like playing a board game — except this particular game is missing the guide that tells you how to play it. So how do you learn these “rules?”

In Claudia’s case, the unwritten rules of the senior exec team were different from those she’d figured out in her 15 previous years in the company. She had to decode a whole new set of norms and cultural nuances. Because her situation was a bit more urgent, she couldn’t spend months and years reading between the lines and learning from mistakes. Instead, she enlisted the help of a trusted colleague, an ally, who could be her guide in this new, strange land.

? Package your ideas.

Office politics can function a lot like real politics — it’s often not the idea itself, but how it’s packaged. When pitching your own ideas, think about how they can benefit the most people, beyond you and your immediate team or area. Understand the organization’s goals and priorities, and position yours so they overlap. Think about how you “package” your ideas and goals — are people bought in because they can clearly see how they benefit, too? The more your propositions feel like a “win/win” for all, the greater chance they have of moving forward.

? Use your “currency.”

When my most resistant clients hear “office politics,” they often think of a shady, underground system of “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” favors. I encourage them to reframe “favors” as “appreciation.” For example, if your boss rewards your hard work with a highly visible assignment, show appreciation in words and actions. Can you amplify their ideas, goals, and successes, or be on the lookout for opportunities to advance their goals? By framing political “favors” as appreciation, you can tap into the genuine good feelings that come from sharing credit, celebrating successes, and championing good work.

Navigating office politics can feel uncomfortable, especially for leaders who value integrity and honesty. But being politically savvy doesn’t mean compromising those values — it’s about getting a clear view of the playing field, figuring out the unspoken rules, and using your strengths to build connections and make things happen. Remember, you don’t have to play the game unethically — you just have to play it wisely.