Over decades of consulting with corporations and the people who run them and 30 years teaching MBA students the nuances of organisational power, Jeffrey Pfeffer has watched numerous people suffer career reversals even as others prevail despite the odds. The most common mistake: most of us don't have a realistic understanding of what makes some people more successful than others. We tend to subscribe to the just world phenomenon, believing that life is fair, rendering us unprepared for the challenges and competition of the real world. Now, Pfeffer brings decades of research and incredible insights to a wide audience. Brimming with counterintuitive advice, numerous examples from a variety of countries, and surprising but research-based findings, his groundbreaking guide reveals the strategies and tactics that separate the winners from the losers. Power, he argues, is a force that can be used and harnessed for individual gain, but also for the benefit of organisations and society. Power, however, cannot be learned from those in charge - their advice often puts a rosy spin on their ascent and focuses on what should have worked, rather than what did.
Instead, he reveals the actual paths to power and career success. Iconoclastic and grounded in the realpolitik of human interaction, "Power" is an essential organisational survival manual and a new standard in the field of leadership and management.
I have to admit, I expected something different from this book. Because I'm a storyteller intrigued by the idea of power, I inferred from the title that it would be a fascinating examination of what makes someone the kind of person who is powerful and influential.
But this book is far too practical for all that. It's an examination of workplace politics, offering concrete examples and suggestions for how to become more powerful at work. Jeffrey Pfeffer disregards all my romantic notions of power and in their place offers realistic things you an do to change your situation at work.
And while most of the topics he covers are somewhat common sense, his strength lies in his brutal honesty about the politics of power. He doesn't shy away from discussing and accepting what some people would consider the distasteful elements of vying for power. And even common sense can be insightful when he articulates something you've never considered before, or presents it bluntly from a new angle.
If someone were ambitious, or looking to become ambitious, or simple wanted to change their work status, I'd definitely recommend this book as a straightforward way to learn how.
