How Politics Influences Career Advancement

The one career mistake that keeps talented executives stuck? Pretending politics don't exist. I've watched too many talented leaders plateau while less qualified peers advance. They assume merit alone drives success. They're wrong. The difference between those who stagnate and those who soar? 👉 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱. Having coached hundreds through the executive ranks, I've witnessed this pattern repeatedly: Technical brilliance opens doors. Strategic influence determines your destination. The executives who accelerate? They master what others dismiss: 𝟭/ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 ��𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂���𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 Not the org chart. The 𝘶𝘯𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 power grid. Who does the CEO text after hours? Whose feedback gets implemented before meetings even end? Which quiet players steer big decisions? If you can't see this map, you're flying blind. 𝟮/ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 Influence works like a bank account: deposits first. They earn trust by: • Solving real problems for key players • Building bridges across silos • Making others look good without broadcasting it Political goodwill isn't built in a crisis. 𝟯/ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 Every company 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 they value innovation or collaboration. But pay attention to: • What gets funded vs. what gets praised • Which mistakes get forgiven • Whose meetings never get moved These tell you what 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 matters. 𝟰/ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 Pushback is rarely about your idea's logic. It's about: • Whose turf feels threatened • Who was left out of early conversations • What hidden priorities you ignored This isn't manipulation. It's reading the room like a strategist. 𝟱/ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 Not all support is equal. Smart leaders focus their energy where real decisions are shaped. Backchannel influence beats formal authority every time. You don't need everyone on your side—just the 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 people. Reality check: If you're not navigating organizational dynamics at senior levels, your expertise becomes irrelevant. 👇 What organizational truth did you learn the hard way? ---------------------------------------------- ♻️ Share with someone ready to master the real rules of advancement. ➕ Follow Courtney Intersimone for more insights on executive influence and advancement.

The higher you go, the less IQ matters. I learned this the hard way and it almost ended my career before it really started. When I got my first C-suite position, I was coming off a successful run as a partner at Ernst & Young. I had deployed AI across healthcare and financial services. I had the technical reputation. I had the track record. I thought I had it figured out. I was wrong. I went in guns blazing, ready to fix everyone's problems. I was so confident in what I knew that I didn't stop to think about what I didn't know. And what I didn't know was that executive success runs on a completely different operating system. I had no clue about the politics. I had no clue about the relationship-building that had to happen before anyone would trust my recommendations. I didn't understand that the higher you go, the less people care about your IQ and the more they care about your EQ, BQ, and SQ. Emotional quotient. Business quotient. Social quotient. I had spent my entire career developing technical skills. But technical skills are table stakes at the executive level. Everyone in the room is smart. That's how they got there. What separates those who succeed from those who flame out is the ability to read a room. Navigate politics. Build genuine partnerships across silos. Turn skeptics into allies. Know when to push and when to pull back. The most sophisticated AI in the world won't save you from organizational politics. I got my ass handed to me in that first role. But I learned a lesson I've never forgotten. Now, relationships come first. Always. I spend the first 4-5 months of any new role just getting to know people - doing one-on-ones, understanding pain points, learning the language of the business. If you're a technical leader eyeing the C-suite, start building those muscles now. The politics won't wait for your perfect deployment. What's been your biggest lesson moving into leadership? 👇 #Leadership #CareerAdvice #EQ #ExecutiveLeadership #AI #CsuiteAdvice

How Power Actually Works in Organizations Most mid-career leaders don’t stall because they lack capability. They stall because they misread how power actually moves inside their company. For years, I watched brilliant professionals assume promotions were a reward for consistent performance. But performance isn’t the only currency that buys senior leadership roles. I’ve seen leaders who delivered flawlessly for a decade… Yet their influence inside the company barely moved an inch. Meanwhile, someone with half their experience walked into meetings they were never invited to. Why? Because performance isn’t the game. Power is. And power doesn’t flow the way HR slides claim it does in the organization charts. Here’s the truth nobody prints in the employee handbook: Careers don’t accelerate because you do more. They accelerate because more people cannot move forward without you. Because the thing that holds most mid-career leaders back isn’t performance. It’s playing the wrong game. And once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Here’s how power actually moves. The version people learn the hard way Power flows through three channels - simple, subtle, and brutally effective: 1️⃣ Access: Being in the room before decisions get made Early visibility into problems, priorities, and politics. You know you have access when leaders ask, “Can I get your view on this?” Access gives you influence before anything becomes official. 2️⃣ Alignment: Linking your work to what the business truly cares about Power pools around revenue, risk, cost, and talent. When your work advances those priorities, you shift from “reliable performer” to “strategic asset.” Alignment makes you indispensable to the people who steer the company. 3️⃣ Advocacy: Having someone senior bet their reputation on you This is sponsorship in its purest form. It’s a leader saying your name in rooms you’re not in, and pushing for your advancement. Advocacy turns silent supporters into career accelerators. Mid-career leaders plateau when they play the visible game of delivery and ignore the invisible game of influence. But once you understand how decisions actually get shaped… your career lifts off. Not because you changed jobs. Because you changed orbit. If you’re stuck despite strong performance, this is your turning point: Stop chasing tasks. Start channeling power. Follow me for practical strategies to become undeniable in an AI-shaped corporate world. So decision-makers can’t move forward without you.

Do you think office politics is an inherently evil and toxic practice used by people to manipulate others to achieve their own goals. Let us double-click on this. Have you ever - ➖ Persuaded your parents to get their medical exam done? ➖ Asked a friend to refer you for a job in their organization? ➖ Made a business case to get your idea approved? ➖ Crafted your presentation to suit your audience? Do we not use our influence, relationships, and empathy to rally others to do what we believe is the right thing to do all the time? And yet, we label the same skills when deployed by others as 'dirty politics.' Politics definitely can be used unethically, but it is also an intentional and sometimes behind-the-scenes mechanism for getting things done.  Staying out of politics is not a viable option. It is a myth that your work speaks for you. In reality, people speak about your work. It does not matter how good you are at your job if people dislike you. For anyone to advocate for you or mentor you, they must like you. Fortunately, the ability to 'be political' is not an inherent trait that you are born with. It is a skill that can be cultivated with intention and hard work. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨? 𝐀. 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮. Your perspective shapes your reality, so note the interpretation and judgment you attach to activities you consider political. For example, ▶️Are informal conversations before a big decision-making meeting 'lobbying' or essential legwork to help the process? ▶️Is building relationships with your boss's peers bootlicking or investment in building and understanding new relationships? 𝐁. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬. Make the time and energy to invest in relationships. You are more likely to be able to change someone's mind if you can also warm their hearts. A little thoughtfulness goes a long way in building allies and supporters, e.g., ▶️Be generous with your time and support your colleagues. Offer help proactively instead of waiting to be asked. ▶️Thank the people who have helped or collaborated with you by name. ▶️Ask for feedback on your work and let people know that you've acted on their feedback, sharing how it helped. ▶️Compliment colleagues when they do a good job. ▶️Shift focus from your problems to those of others in your conversations. ▶️Adapt to your colleagues' working style and speak to them with their values, preferences, and goals in mind. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭- If politics is about influence and relationships, there is never going to be a place without politics. Nurturing these qualities takes intention, focus, and practice. Being strategic about building relationships and using your influence may seem hard initially, but pays huge dividends by empowering your career to flourish. What do you need to engage in constructive politics?

👉 The “work hard and you’ll get promoted” myth - Debunked! Hard work and talent are all you need to get ahead in your career… right? If only it were that simple. Many professionals believe that mastering their craft is enough to climb the corporate ladder. But then, they watch less-skilled colleagues get promoted, land big projects, or gain influence simply because they “know the right people.” Research shows political skills predict career #success more than technical #skills. At the same time, toxic workplace politics push employees to quit. It’s frustrating. It feels unfair. But it’s the reality of the corporate world. So, where does that leave those of us who hate office politics? While technical skills are undeniably important, the reality is that navigating workplace dynamics can have just as much of an impact on your #career. The key is in the balance between the two. The 2 pillars of career growth: Skills & Influence 1️⃣Skills & Performance: The Foundation - Your expertise, engagement, and ability to deliver results. - Without strong skills, influence alone won’t sustain long-term success. - A solid reputation starts with competence. 2️⃣Political Awareness & Influence: The Accelerator - Knowing how decisions are made and who holds power. - Building genuine relationships. - Understanding unspoken rules and aligning with key stakeholders. Here's how to increase your influence (without "playing dirty"): ✔️ Build real relationships: Not just networking, but genuine connections. ✔️Be visible: Speak up, contribute, and position yourself as a thought leader. ✔️ Understand decision-making dynamics: Understand exactly how you can get things done and who you can go to. ✔️ Seek win-win collaborations: Influence is about mutual benefit, not manipulation. ✔️ Stay true to your values: Maintaining your integrity will make you more trustworthy. The bottom line: You don’t have to play office politics, but you do need to understand the game. Master your craft, but don’t ignore the power of influence. And, if you're navigating these challenges in your own career and need more guidance, feel free to reach out. I'm here to help. #linkedinnewseurope #coaching #leadership

One of the most frustrating lessons I learned as a manager was that promotions don’t always come down to merit. At Amazon, principal engineer promotions had a structured process: documents, assessments, feedback, review meetings. On paper, it was designed to be fair and rigorous. But in practice, it could feel random. I remember one case clearly. My engineer had led a huge, highly complex project for over a year. She had strong assessments, and multiple leaders respected her work. Walking into the promotion meeting, I felt confident. But the discussion took a turn. One leader felt that her team had been “called out” in the promotion document, and grew defensive. Another leader had written a positive assessment months earlier, but changed his mind based on more recent experiences. By the end of the meeting, the vote flipped against her. The result wasn’t just disappointing for her—it was career-altering. She left Amazon, and another senior engineer who supported her did too. That single decision reshaped the team more than the promotion ever would have. What I took away was sobering: if you walk into a promotion meeting without knowing exactly how everyone feels beforehand, you’re not really making the decision in the room—you’re gambling. From that point forward, I treated these meetings as a formality. I learned to surface every concern ahead of time, so the “decision” was already made before we sat down. It was a painful lesson in how processes that appear meritocratic often aren’t. Promotions can hinge on preparation, politics, and timing, as much as on the work itself. In my article, I share the full story of that meeting and the lessons I carried forward. If you’d like to see the details—and a few hard-won insights on navigating promotions—you can read it here.

If you think hard work, loyalty, and waiting your turn will get you promoted, you’re wrong. I learned that lesson the hard way early in my career. I believed if I just kept my head down and delivered results, someone would notice. But workplaces don’t always reward performance. They reward power dynamics. Research shows that employees who actively manage visibility and relationships are promoted 50% faster than those who rely on merit alone Even with similar performance ratings. And as Dr. Jeffrey Pfeffer reminds us, careers are not built in meritocracies; they’re built in ecosystems of influence. I see this pattern again and again when mentoring women. Many ask, “Why am I not being promoted when I’m delivering?” They’re not imagining it; studies show women are more likely to believe hard work alone leads to advancement, while men are more likely to credit visibility and relationships. And as a result, women often over-deliver in execution but remain under-recognized in opportunity. I remember being there myself, watching others take credit for work I had done or being passed over for opportunities I had earned, and realizing quiet excellence wasn’t enough. It wasn’t that I needed to change my work ethic. I needed to change my strategy. This isn’t about playing politics. It’s about understanding power. → Do great work, but make sure the right people know it. → Build alliances before you need them. → Advocate for yourself as fiercely as you deliver for others. To go from being great at your job to being a leader in your field, learn to pair competence with courage and influence with integrity. That’s the kind of power that lasts. 💌 Subscribe to my newsletter with the link in the comments

“Stay above office politics.” 👆 Ignoring this advice was the smartest career move I made. Early on, I kept my head down and focused on working hard. The result? - I watched visible colleagues get promoted - I watched less qualified peers drive decisions - I watched louder voices get buy-in for mediocre ideas Big mistake. Politics isn’t dirty. It’s human nature to form alliances based on trust, familiarity, and perceived credibility. 📣 Every company has power players who shape decisions, build alignment, and drive action behind the scenes. And staying on the sidelines will quietly exclude you from key rooms and backchannel conversations. You can’t rise up the ranks by just doing the work. You need to do great work and understand the system that moves it forward. 🎯 1) Map out who actually drives decisions (not just titles). Observe how they communicate and engage with them intentionally. 2) Give public credit to others on Slack or in meetings. It builds allies and signals leadership. 3) Know your company’s priorities and align your work and language with them. 4) Build real relationships with peers in other teams—they're often your best advocates in unseen rooms. 🤝 5) Don’t burn bridges. Even when you disagree, exit with respect. This shifted my mindset from feeling like a bystander in office dynamics... To becoming someone who navigates them with clarity and drives positive change. 💡 Avoiding politics doesn’t eliminate them. It just hands your influence to someone else.

Performance doesn’t decide promotions. People do. Promotions are decided by biased humans inside messy systems with incomplete information, risk aversion, and politics. (I put together a list of steps to navigate this here: https://lnkd.in/eyPzeDPB) I learned this the hard way when a peer was promoted to be my boss. A senior leader asked what I thought of him in the role. It was the first I'd heard of it. I hid my confusion and quickly swallowed the anger. The question wasn’t whether he deserved it. It was why I wasn’t even in the conversation? I had not positioned myself for advancement. He had. I learned that to get ahead, I had to pull the levers of advancement consistently and with intention. Here are the ones that matter most: 1️⃣ Treat your manager as your primary amplifier  ↳ Ask what they want to see for advancement  ↳ Have regular development conversations  ↳ Bring specific time-bound goals This isn't about regular kudos. This is helping your manager translate your work into opportunity. 2️⃣ Make your impact legible to leadership  ↳ Shift from “I did X” to “This saved us $X.”  ↳ Use their language: revenue, risk, predictability, cost, stakeholder trust  ↳ Align your work with business objectives 🗝️ Consider what your leadership values (e.g., stability, growth, impact) and talk about your work in that context. 3️⃣ Build sponsors/network that vouches for you  ↳ Focus on people that can help you learn and grow  ↳ ID senior people who benefit when you succeed.  ↳ Include peers and cross-functional partners that offer visibility 🗝️ When you deliver well, you can explicitly ask for advocacy and stretch opportunities from multiple sources. 4️⃣ Navigate power without playing games  ↳ Learn your organization's informal power map  ↳ Identify alliances and who influences decisions  ↳ Uncover the priorities of key players 🗝️ Work to align your efforts with initiatives that are core to the business. 5️⃣ Be known for specific strengths  ↳ These are traits/skills others depend on  ↳ It can be reliable expertise ("Knows X system deeply")  ↳ It can be an uncommon trait (calm, discrete) 🗝️ Display these consistently so your reputation travels without self-promotion. 6️⃣ Choose projects with care  ↳ More of the same work isn't the goal  ↳ Look for strategic, cross-functional projects  ↳ Aim for assignments that stretch you 🗝️ Treat lateral moves, project leadership, and temporary ownership as career capital. 7️⃣ Turn ambition into visible growth  ↳ “I want to move up” is vague  ↳ Learn to influence without authority  ↳ Track your efforts to stay focused and show progress 🗝️ Identify your growth on a monthly basis and track it against your goals. People don’t stall because they lack ability. They stall because they think good work speaks for itself. If this feels familiar, here's the list to work on for your next promotion: https://lnkd.in/eyPzeDPB Follow Sarah Baker Andrus for more.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲—it could be office politics. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 • 70% of promotions are influenced by managing relationships and office politics, not just your job performance. (Source: HBR)    • 58% of employees say that office politics impacts their career growth. (Source: Forbes) 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: 𝗝𝗶𝗹𝗹'𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 • Jill was a top performer, consistently in the top 10% at her company.    • She was well-liked, worked long hours, and had impressive skills.    • Yet, Jill missed out on a big promotion. 𝗪𝗵𝘆? She didn’t engage in office politics. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴: 𝗡𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Jill spent all her time at her desk, ignoring key decision-makers. 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: She believed hard work was enough and avoided the political side of work. 𝗡𝗼 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Jill assumed others would notice her achievements, so she didn’t discuss them. 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲: She didn’t actively position herself as a leader in the company. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗝𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 Through leadership coaching, Jill identified 5 areas she needed to work on: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀: Jill started attending company events and connecting with influential people. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: At a luncheon, Jill intentionally sat next to a senior executive and discussed how her team could support his projects, securing a future collaboration. 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆: Jill started preparing to share her achievements in meetings. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: In a meeting, Jill proudly shared how her team saved $200,000, crediting her leadership for the success. 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: 𝗝ill learned to respond calmly to others' emotions instead of reacting defensively. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: When a colleague disagreed with her, she suggested a collaboration, which earned her respect. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Jill aligned her work with the company’s long-term goals. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: She volunteered to lead an AI project, positioning her as a forward-thinking leader. 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 & 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Jill started understanding who influenced the company and aligned herself with key players. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁? Jill started getting noticed. She was assigned high-visibility projects and secured her promotion in the next appraisal cycle. 🎉 𝗣.𝗦. Want to unlock your full potential and master office politics? Let me help you navigate the unwritten rules of the workplace. 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲, and let's create a strategy that works for you! #peakimpactmentorship #leadership #success #interviewtips #communication