Political Styles at Work: How to Successfully Navigate

Scan Your Situation to Navigate Political Styles at Work
Wouldn’t it be valuable to accurately read political styles in your organization to navigate high-stakes meetings, critical decisions, and complex conversations? Leaders (and especially new managers) who can scan the workplace for cues about power dynamics know who and what to focus on — and how to influence those around them effectively.

“Power of Ideas” versus “Power of Person” Political Styles at Work
Organizationally savvy leaders recognize that colleagues typically operate with one of two political styles, each with its own worldview, moral compass, and approach to influence:

• Power of Person
  These individuals are more politically oriented. They focus on image, relationships, and optics, make decisions with personal agendas in mind, and highlight successes strategically. At the extreme, they may manipulate situations or undermine others to advance their own position.

• Power of Ideas
  These colleagues are less politically driven, emphasizing substance, integrity, transparency, and results. At the extreme, they may underestimate organizational politics or reject them outright, which can limit their influence and career progression. Without political skills training, their impact can be diluted, especially if they adopt a self-righteous stance toward the politics around them.

Why Reading Political Styles Matters
Leaders who understand these styles can avoid political missteps — such as inadvertently offending a highly political colleague or alienating a less politically savvy teammate. Recognizing political blind spots ensures that ideas, contributions, and results receive the recognition and reward they merit.

The Bottom Line
Our organizational culture assessments show that each political style comes with its own worldview, level of political activity, and approach to influence, power, and recognition. Smart leaders take the time to read these dynamics accurately and proceed accordingly.

To learn more about equipping managers and leaders to better navigate politics at work, download, How to Increase the Competence of Organizational Savvy

Tristam Brown

Tristam Brown is a seasoned business consultant and organizational development expert with more than three decades of experience helping organizations accelerate performance, build high-impact teams, and turn strategy into execution. As CEO of LSA Global, he works with leaders to get and stay aligned™ through research-backed strategy, culture, and talent solutions that produce measurable, business-critical results. See full bio.