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Managing With Power
Although much as been written about how to make better decisions, a decision by itself changes nothing. The big problem facing managers and their organizations today is one of implementation--how to get things done in a timely and effective way. Problems of implementation are really issues of how to influence behavior, change the course of events, overcome resistance, and get people to do things they would not otherwise do. In a word, power. Managing With Power provides an in-depth look at the role of power and influence in organizations. Pfeffer shows convincingly that its effective use is an essential component of strong leadership. With vivid examples, he makes a compelling case for the necessity of power in mobilizing the political support and resources to get things done in any organization. He provides an intriguing look at the personal attributes—such as flexibility, stamina, and a high tolerance for conflict—and the structural factors—such as control of resources, access to information, and formal authority—that can help managers advance organizational goals and achieve individual success.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
130 people are currently reading
1136 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Pfeffer
58 books320 followersJeffrey Pfeffer is the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University where he has taught since 1979. He is the author or co-author of thirteen books including The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First; Managing with Power; The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge Into Action; Hidden Value: How Great Companies Achieve Extraordinary Results with Ordinary People; Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths, and Total Nonsense: Profiting from Evidence-Based Management; and What Were They Thinking? Unconventional Wisdom About Management, as well as more than 150 articles and book chapters. Pfeffer’s latest book, entitled Power: Why Some People Have It—And Others Don’t was published in 2010 by Harper Business.
Dr. Pfeffer received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Carnegie-Mellon University and his Ph.D. from Stanford. He began his career at the business school at the University of Illinois and then taught at the University of California, Berkeley. Pfeffer has been a visiting professor at the Harvard Business School, Singapore Management University, London Business School, Copenhagen Business School, and for the past 8 years a visitor at IESE in Barcelona.
From 2003-2007, Pfeffer wrote a monthly column, “The Human Factor,” for the 600,000-person circulation business magazine, Business 2.0 and from 2007-2010, he wrote a monthly column providing career advice for Capital, a leading business and economics magazine in Turkey. Pfeffer also was a regular blogger for the Corner Office section of BNET (CBS Interactive), and currently writes for the Harvard Business Review website, Bloomberg Business Week online, Inc., and for the “On Leadership” section of The Washington Post. Pfeffer has appeared in segments on CBS Sunday Morning, 60 Minutes, and CNBC as well as television and radio programs in Korea and Japan and has been quoted and featured in news articles from countries around the globe.
Pfeffer currently serves on the board of directors of the nonprofit Quantum Leap Healthcare. In the past he has served on the boards of Resumix, Unicru, and Workstream, all human capital software companies, Audible Magic, an internet company, SonoSite, a company designing and manufacturing portable ultrasound machines, and the San Francisco Playhouse, a non-profit theater. Pfeffer has presented seminars in 38 countries throughout the world as well as doing consulting and providing executive education for numerous companies, associations, and universities in the United States.
Jeffrey Pfeffer has won the Richard I. Irwin Award presented by the Academy of Management for scholarly contributions to management and numerous awards for his articles and books. He is listed in the top 25 management thinkers by Thinkers 50, and as one of the Most Influential HR International Thinkers by HR Magazine. In November, 2011, he was presented with an honorary doctorate degree from Tilburg University in The Netherlands.
Dr. Pfeffer received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Carnegie-Mellon University and his Ph.D. from Stanford. He began his career at the business school at the University of Illinois and then taught at the University of California, Berkeley. Pfeffer has been a visiting professor at the Harvard Business School, Singapore Management University, London Business School, Copenhagen Business School, and for the past 8 years a visitor at IESE in Barcelona.
From 2003-2007, Pfeffer wrote a monthly column, “The Human Factor,” for the 600,000-person circulation business magazine, Business 2.0 and from 2007-2010, he wrote a monthly column providing career advice for Capital, a leading business and economics magazine in Turkey. Pfeffer also was a regular blogger for the Corner Office section of BNET (CBS Interactive), and currently writes for the Harvard Business Review website, Bloomberg Business Week online, Inc., and for the “On Leadership” section of The Washington Post. Pfeffer has appeared in segments on CBS Sunday Morning, 60 Minutes, and CNBC as well as television and radio programs in Korea and Japan and has been quoted and featured in news articles from countries around the globe.
Pfeffer currently serves on the board of directors of the nonprofit Quantum Leap Healthcare. In the past he has served on the boards of Resumix, Unicru, and Workstream, all human capital software companies, Audible Magic, an internet company, SonoSite, a company designing and manufacturing portable ultrasound machines, and the San Francisco Playhouse, a non-profit theater. Pfeffer has presented seminars in 38 countries throughout the world as well as doing consulting and providing executive education for numerous companies, associations, and universities in the United States.
Jeffrey Pfeffer has won the Richard I. Irwin Award presented by the Academy of Management for scholarly contributions to management and numerous awards for his articles and books. He is listed in the top 25 management thinkers by Thinkers 50, and as one of the Most Influential HR International Thinkers by HR Magazine. In November, 2011, he was presented with an honorary doctorate degree from Tilburg University in The Netherlands.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 21, 2020
In terms of content, this book is almost similar to "Power: Why Some People Have it & Others Don't" by Pfeffer. Nonetheless, it is a much more exciting read than the latter.
This is the 3rd book I have read by Pfeffer. He is to Leadership what Peter Drucker is to management - incisive, contrarian & relaying his messages with surgical precision. One would find his advice to be amoral although he issues a reservation at the outset by stating that people have to combat the "just world hypothesis".
Robert Greene's books advocate the same approach to navigating life.
Key insights:
• Systematic empirical research confirms what these two contrasting stories, as well as common sense and everyday experience, suggest: being politically savvy and seeking power are related to career success and even to managerial performance.
• For instance, one study investigated the primary motivations of managers and their professional success. One group of managers were primarily motivated by a need for affiliation— they were more interested in being liked than getting things done.
• A second group were primarily motivated by a need for achievement—goal attainment for themselves.
• And a third group were primarily interested in power. The evidence showed that this third group, the managers primarily interested in power, were the most effective, not only in achieving positions of influence inside companies but also in accomplishing their jobs.
• 3 Benefits of having power –
o long & healthy life, Having power leads to a longer and healthier life; people want control over their work environment. Studies have shown that the degree of job control i.e. decision-making authority, discretion to use one’s own skills predicted the risk of contracting coronary artery disease in the next 5 years or so
o power, visibility & stature (eg. Bill Clinton after the scandal earned money from speaking fees)
o having power is a part of leadership to get things done
• 3 obstacles to acquiring power – 2 relate to the “just world effect”, the 3rd is yourself
• Obstacle 1 - Stop thinking that the world is a just place; combat the just world hypothesis i.e. people get what they deserve; good people are likely to be rewarded & bad people are likely to be punished
• Obstacle 2 – beware of the leadership literature – most of the books are filled with prescriptions i.e. being truthful, follow an inner compass. There are 3 problems with such books – people like Jack Welch who write inspirational articles are weaving their own reality, such autobiographies or third-party books reinforce the positive traits & conveniently leave out the negative attributes. 2nd – those in power get to write history, 3rd- if people know that some1 at the company is successful, they will automatically attribute all kinds of positive traits (just world effect)
• Obstacle 3 – Yourself! Get over yourself, your self image
• Your job performance does not matter, so long as you keep your bosses happy
• David Schoorman had conducted a research study – employees were categorized by their supervisors involvement in the hiring process:
o Bucket 1 – managers “inherited” the employees
o Bucket 2 – managers initially did not support the employees, but was over-ruled by other managers whilst hiring the employee
o Bucket 3 – managers who actively participated in hiring the employee
• Result – the initial positive or negative impression colours the subsequent performance appraisals. Thus, job performance matters less as compared to your maanger’s commitment to and relationship with you
• Outstanding job performance does not guarantee performance, it might even hurt you eg. manager will be unwilling to let you move to another department
• Get noticed – mere exposure effect; reach out to higher ups, build visibility
• Define the dimension of performance – no one can perform successfully on all measures; hence define the same
• Remember what matters to your boss – ask those in power what they think is most crucial, & how they see what you ought to be doing
• Make others feel better about themselves – The lesson: worry about the relationship you have with your boss at least as much as you worry about your job performance. If your boss makes a mistake, see if someone else other than you will point it out. And if you do highlight some error or problem, do so in a way that does not in any way implicate the individual’s own self-concept or competence—for instance, by blaming the error on others or on the situation. The last thing you want to do is be known as someone who makes your boss insecure or have a difficult relationship with those in power; use flattery
• 7 qualities that build power – Divided based on 2 fundamental dimensions
o Will – ambition, energy (its contagious, advantageous in getting things done, signals organizational commitment) and focus
o Skill – self-knowledge (reading, structured reflection) & a reflective mindset, confidence & ability to project self-assurance, ability to read others & empathize with their point of view, capacity to tolerate conflict
• Where you start your career determines the subsequent growth trajectory
• Whiz Kids & Ford – Departmental power – arises due to Unit Cohesion, ability to provided critical resources such as money, skill
• How to diagnose departmental power – Relative Pay, Physical Location & Facilities, positions on committees & in senior management
• Dilemma – if you join a powerful department, there might be a lot of competition, since others would have joined it too
• Keith Ferrazzi – insisted on meeting the big guys before accepting job offer at McKinsey/ Deloitte
• Machiavelli mentioned 500 years ago in his book The Prince – although it is desirable to be both loved & feared, but if you have only 1 option, then pick fear. Note – nice people are perceived as warm, but as less intelligent
• Attitude follows behavior – if we act in a certain way over time, our attitudes follow. If we act friendly toward an enemy, over time we will come to like him. Explanation is the theory of cognitive dissonance which suggests that we re-adjust our attitude of initial dislike
• Creating resources – Power & resources beget more power & resources. Resources are great because once you have them, maintaining power becomes a self-reinforcing process. CEOs of larger companies with more resources can afford to hire high-priced compensation consultants who, big surprise, recommend pay policies that favor the CEOs who hired them. People with money or with control over organizational money get appointed to various for-profit and nonprofit boards where they are in contact with others who have business and investment ideas and social and political influence.
• 2 implications of resources as a source of power –
o Preferring line positions to staff positions
o Power comes in large measure from the position & resources you hold
• Network a lot – strength of weak ties & the weakness of strong ties
• a large network of weak ties is good for innovation and locating information, while a small network of strong ties is better suited to exploiting existing knowledge and transferring tacit skills.
• Leadership is like pretending, to be skilled in theatrical arts. Andy Grove used to send shy managers to “wolf school”. When you start acting with power, it becomes less like an act, it becomes contagious to others, self-reinforcing (thus creating a feedback loop)
• Display anger rather than sadness/ guilt
• Use persuasive language, contest the premises of the discussion
• Use “us v/s them” references, use contrast i.e. do you want this or that, avoid using script or notes, use pause for emphasis, use humour,
• Create & maintain a Reputation – perception is reality. If you think you have an image problem, find another job; no use in trying to change other people’s minds. Also, don’t try to create a reputation with only 1 person; try different environments (consistent with the networking advice)
• John browne – CEO of BP
• Write articles since they help refine your thinking
• Those who speak on your behalf also have their statements judged as more credible than when you make the same claims yourself. And the very fact that you were able to get, for instance, a reputable public relations firm or a great agent to work for you signals your capability and adds luster to your reputation. The advice from this research and the observations that stimulated it: don’t be cheap—hire people to represent and tout you. It can work to your advantage in several ways.
• Cost of visibility – companies then seldom tend to innovate which may explain Clayton Christensen’s Innovator’s Dilemma
This is the 3rd book I have read by Pfeffer. He is to Leadership what Peter Drucker is to management - incisive, contrarian & relaying his messages with surgical precision. One would find his advice to be amoral although he issues a reservation at the outset by stating that people have to combat the "just world hypothesis".
Robert Greene's books advocate the same approach to navigating life.
Key insights:
• Systematic empirical research confirms what these two contrasting stories, as well as common sense and everyday experience, suggest: being politically savvy and seeking power are related to career success and even to managerial performance.
• For instance, one study investigated the primary motivations of managers and their professional success. One group of managers were primarily motivated by a need for affiliation— they were more interested in being liked than getting things done.
• A second group were primarily motivated by a need for achievement—goal attainment for themselves.
• And a third group were primarily interested in power. The evidence showed that this third group, the managers primarily interested in power, were the most effective, not only in achieving positions of influence inside companies but also in accomplishing their jobs.
• 3 Benefits of having power –
o long & healthy life, Having power leads to a longer and healthier life; people want control over their work environment. Studies have shown that the degree of job control i.e. decision-making authority, discretion to use one’s own skills predicted the risk of contracting coronary artery disease in the next 5 years or so
o power, visibility & stature (eg. Bill Clinton after the scandal earned money from speaking fees)
o having power is a part of leadership to get things done
• 3 obstacles to acquiring power – 2 relate to the “just world effect”, the 3rd is yourself
• Obstacle 1 - Stop thinking that the world is a just place; combat the just world hypothesis i.e. people get what they deserve; good people are likely to be rewarded & bad people are likely to be punished
• Obstacle 2 – beware of the leadership literature – most of the books are filled with prescriptions i.e. being truthful, follow an inner compass. There are 3 problems with such books – people like Jack Welch who write inspirational articles are weaving their own reality, such autobiographies or third-party books reinforce the positive traits & conveniently leave out the negative attributes. 2nd – those in power get to write history, 3rd- if people know that some1 at the company is successful, they will automatically attribute all kinds of positive traits (just world effect)
• Obstacle 3 – Yourself! Get over yourself, your self image
• Your job performance does not matter, so long as you keep your bosses happy
• David Schoorman had conducted a research study – employees were categorized by their supervisors involvement in the hiring process:
o Bucket 1 – managers “inherited” the employees
o Bucket 2 – managers initially did not support the employees, but was over-ruled by other managers whilst hiring the employee
o Bucket 3 – managers who actively participated in hiring the employee
• Result – the initial positive or negative impression colours the subsequent performance appraisals. Thus, job performance matters less as compared to your maanger’s commitment to and relationship with you
• Outstanding job performance does not guarantee performance, it might even hurt you eg. manager will be unwilling to let you move to another department
• Get noticed – mere exposure effect; reach out to higher ups, build visibility
• Define the dimension of performance – no one can perform successfully on all measures; hence define the same
• Remember what matters to your boss – ask those in power what they think is most crucial, & how they see what you ought to be doing
• Make others feel better about themselves – The lesson: worry about the relationship you have with your boss at least as much as you worry about your job performance. If your boss makes a mistake, see if someone else other than you will point it out. And if you do highlight some error or problem, do so in a way that does not in any way implicate the individual’s own self-concept or competence—for instance, by blaming the error on others or on the situation. The last thing you want to do is be known as someone who makes your boss insecure or have a difficult relationship with those in power; use flattery
• 7 qualities that build power – Divided based on 2 fundamental dimensions
o Will – ambition, energy (its contagious, advantageous in getting things done, signals organizational commitment) and focus
o Skill – self-knowledge (reading, structured reflection) & a reflective mindset, confidence & ability to project self-assurance, ability to read others & empathize with their point of view, capacity to tolerate conflict
• Where you start your career determines the subsequent growth trajectory
• Whiz Kids & Ford – Departmental power – arises due to Unit Cohesion, ability to provided critical resources such as money, skill
• How to diagnose departmental power – Relative Pay, Physical Location & Facilities, positions on committees & in senior management
• Dilemma – if you join a powerful department, there might be a lot of competition, since others would have joined it too
• Keith Ferrazzi – insisted on meeting the big guys before accepting job offer at McKinsey/ Deloitte
• Machiavelli mentioned 500 years ago in his book The Prince – although it is desirable to be both loved & feared, but if you have only 1 option, then pick fear. Note – nice people are perceived as warm, but as less intelligent
• Attitude follows behavior – if we act in a certain way over time, our attitudes follow. If we act friendly toward an enemy, over time we will come to like him. Explanation is the theory of cognitive dissonance which suggests that we re-adjust our attitude of initial dislike
• Creating resources – Power & resources beget more power & resources. Resources are great because once you have them, maintaining power becomes a self-reinforcing process. CEOs of larger companies with more resources can afford to hire high-priced compensation consultants who, big surprise, recommend pay policies that favor the CEOs who hired them. People with money or with control over organizational money get appointed to various for-profit and nonprofit boards where they are in contact with others who have business and investment ideas and social and political influence.
• 2 implications of resources as a source of power –
o Preferring line positions to staff positions
o Power comes in large measure from the position & resources you hold
• Network a lot – strength of weak ties & the weakness of strong ties
• a large network of weak ties is good for innovation and locating information, while a small network of strong ties is better suited to exploiting existing knowledge and transferring tacit skills.
• Leadership is like pretending, to be skilled in theatrical arts. Andy Grove used to send shy managers to “wolf school”. When you start acting with power, it becomes less like an act, it becomes contagious to others, self-reinforcing (thus creating a feedback loop)
• Display anger rather than sadness/ guilt
• Use persuasive language, contest the premises of the discussion
• Use “us v/s them” references, use contrast i.e. do you want this or that, avoid using script or notes, use pause for emphasis, use humour,
• Create & maintain a Reputation – perception is reality. If you think you have an image problem, find another job; no use in trying to change other people’s minds. Also, don’t try to create a reputation with only 1 person; try different environments (consistent with the networking advice)
• John browne – CEO of BP
• Write articles since they help refine your thinking
• Those who speak on your behalf also have their statements judged as more credible than when you make the same claims yourself. And the very fact that you were able to get, for instance, a reputable public relations firm or a great agent to work for you signals your capability and adds luster to your reputation. The advice from this research and the observations that stimulated it: don’t be cheap—hire people to represent and tout you. It can work to your advantage in several ways.
• Cost of visibility – companies then seldom tend to innovate which may explain Clayton Christensen’s Innovator’s Dilemma
December 22, 2011
This was the required textbook for my class, "Power and Politics in Organizations." While I liked the class, I wasn't a big fan of the book. The concepts that Pfeffer discusses seem worthwhile as far as they go, but I guess I don't especially like this format of presenting them--basically, presenting a concept and then giving several brief case-study-based illustrations of the point. In the class, I far preferred extended case study readings, such as Ken Auletta's narration of the (1980s edition) collapse of Lehman Brothers. I can see why an academic would want to depict concepts as general conclusions with concrete examples, but I feel like you miss out on too much by just getting the snippets.
August 25, 2017
Part of my research agenda is to examine political behaviour in organizations. It's a topic that interests many, but draws the contempt of more. It doesn't take very long to discover that there is a widespread stigma against the topic. People would, at least explicitly, sooner see politics disappear than to involve themselves in the realm of interpersonal influence. Power, or the fuel of politics, suffers from much of the same wishful thinking. With the clarity and wit you'd expect, Jeffrey Pfeffer does a skillful job at advocating why this is not only a foolish desire, but also one that sets up any individual or organization for disaster. Simply put, "getting things done requires power" (p. 343).
So what does it mean to manage with power? There are several themes expanded upon in the book: it involves... 1) not only grasping the fact that there are a varying interests in every organization, but that it is important to know what these interests are and who holds them; 2) avoiding the assumptions that people are wrong, less informed, or stupid if they disagree or have a different perspective on issues that are important to us; 3) understanding sources of power and how these sources can be developed (because you need power to get things done); and 4) understanding strategies and tactics for gaining and using power.
Want further details, examples, and implications for these themes and much more? Then definitely give this book a read.
So what does it mean to manage with power? There are several themes expanded upon in the book: it involves... 1) not only grasping the fact that there are a varying interests in every organization, but that it is important to know what these interests are and who holds them; 2) avoiding the assumptions that people are wrong, less informed, or stupid if they disagree or have a different perspective on issues that are important to us; 3) understanding sources of power and how these sources can be developed (because you need power to get things done); and 4) understanding strategies and tactics for gaining and using power.
Want further details, examples, and implications for these themes and much more? Then definitely give this book a read.
December 2, 2018
My prof in TISS, Mulla sir in a quick conversation asked me to read this, and woah what a whirlwind of a book it was.
Pfeffer is amongst the growing tribe of management thinkers who profess realpolitik in life.
Away from the utopian assumption, that folks in office are all sages, Pfeffer says that if we conduct ourselves keeping ourselves in center, make ourselves important, seek power, sustain it, gives some assurance of progress in careers.
The number of anecdotes and examples from industry is just mindboggling.. Thanks sir for suggesting me this book.
Pfeffer is amongst the growing tribe of management thinkers who profess realpolitik in life.
Away from the utopian assumption, that folks in office are all sages, Pfeffer says that if we conduct ourselves keeping ourselves in center, make ourselves important, seek power, sustain it, gives some assurance of progress in careers.
The number of anecdotes and examples from industry is just mindboggling.. Thanks sir for suggesting me this book.
February 7, 2023
What not to do
This is very like Machiavelli‘s work, but longer and more focused on business. After seeing organizations destroyed by people obsessed with gaining personal power at the expense of the success of the business, I can’t agree that power of that kind is necessary to succeed. Certain to Win (by Chet Richards) takes the opposite approach based on Maneuver Warfare principles, and focuses on teamwork, trust, and shared goals, and in my experience it’s a far more successful approach. I do agree that a blunt look at how people gain power is useful, but I would have liked to see a lot more discussion of the pitfalls, and less conviction that personal power is a worthy goal.
This is very like Machiavelli‘s work, but longer and more focused on business. After seeing organizations destroyed by people obsessed with gaining personal power at the expense of the success of the business, I can’t agree that power of that kind is necessary to succeed. Certain to Win (by Chet Richards) takes the opposite approach based on Maneuver Warfare principles, and focuses on teamwork, trust, and shared goals, and in my experience it’s a far more successful approach. I do agree that a blunt look at how people gain power is useful, but I would have liked to see a lot more discussion of the pitfalls, and less conviction that personal power is a worthy goal.
August 28, 2017
Power comes from
* Making others wait (example dctor's office): those who stay self-confidence themselves the one they wait on must be worth it, otherwise they'd be idiots doing it
* Frame desired decision as 3rd between 4 possible alternatives, never the first: 1st under spec, 2nd over price, 3rd target, 4th lowever variant to reassure choice
* Ability to support Conflict, if you have o enemies, you're not changing anything important
*
April 12, 2024
This is a really essential book for anyone who wants to do good things in the world. It is a well researched book on Power in organizations. Power is considered as a negative trait. However, I would call it as neutral skill. It depends on who use it for what. Power is the ability to get things done in face of opposition. In an interconnected world, everything has consequences. However, if real change has to happen power is required.
January 11, 2024
Reads like a textbook, because it is. I appreciated the detailed data and casenotes/annotations, and real world examples highlighting businesses and leaders that most are familiar with. That being said, it is still a bit dry to get through, but would probably be more interesting as a supplement to coursework.
June 16, 2024
2.5 stars - I had to read this book for a class. Since it was written in 1992, many of the examples are outdated. If Pfeffer disposed of about 60% of the droning examples in this book, it would read much less like a textbook. Now, I get to write a literary critique of this book. Great.
May 25, 2017
Another volume of revelations from St. Pfeffer :)
June 4, 2020
This book should be called 'How to be a Jerk'.
December 9, 2020
Read this for an online class at ONU and it just seemed very outdated to me. Some concepts are good, but a lot just seemed like it wasn't written for modern times.
August 7, 2022
Великолепный учебник. Очень интересно и по делу.
September 15, 2022
Must read for anyone who shows away from corporate politics, great to develop an ethical political
Presence you can be proud of.
Presence you can be proud of.
March 30, 2025
Was a required reading for my Power and Influence class at CBS and decided to actually read the book. I did not learn one new thing. So fluffy.
February 7, 2024
An awesome book that drastically changes one's perspectives.
Compared to the earlier book (Power in Organizations), this book is definitely more readable and is more accessible to students and managers. This book should be carefully studied by everyone interested in being successful in life.
Accomplishing change requires more than the ability to solve technical or analytic problems. Innovation is an inherently political activity. The inability to get things done, to have ideas and decisions implemented, is widespread in organizations. This is on account of not developing political will and expertise, the desire to accomplish something, even against opposition, and the knowledge and skills that make it possible to do so. It is necessary to study power and to learn to use it skillfully, since we cannot otherwise hope to gain any success.
Power is simply the capacity to bring about certain intended consequences in the behavior of others. Power is the basic energy needed to initiate and sustain action or the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it. Power and political processes in organizations can be used to accomplish great things.
For those who work in organizations, a knowledge of power is important. The analytical perspective developed in this book can make one a fairly effective forecaster of what organizations are going to do, and can also enhance one's ability to intervene and get things accomplished.
Anyone interested in accomplishing great things should make a serious study of this book, and use it as a fine guidebook for developing one's power.
Compared to the earlier book (Power in Organizations), this book is definitely more readable and is more accessible to students and managers. This book should be carefully studied by everyone interested in being successful in life.
Accomplishing change requires more than the ability to solve technical or analytic problems. Innovation is an inherently political activity. The inability to get things done, to have ideas and decisions implemented, is widespread in organizations. This is on account of not developing political will and expertise, the desire to accomplish something, even against opposition, and the knowledge and skills that make it possible to do so. It is necessary to study power and to learn to use it skillfully, since we cannot otherwise hope to gain any success.
Power is simply the capacity to bring about certain intended consequences in the behavior of others. Power is the basic energy needed to initiate and sustain action or the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it. Power and political processes in organizations can be used to accomplish great things.
For those who work in organizations, a knowledge of power is important. The analytical perspective developed in this book can make one a fairly effective forecaster of what organizations are going to do, and can also enhance one's ability to intervene and get things accomplished.
Anyone interested in accomplishing great things should make a serious study of this book, and use it as a fine guidebook for developing one's power.
April 25, 2012
This was a really useful book, and Jeffrey Pfeffer is a well-known and successful writer on management and organisations. I have rated it at five stars and the book does deserve that high rating. In addition, I bought it on Amazon, second-hand for 85c. True value for money!
The book makes a number of big, bold statements:
o Nothing in human affairs is done for rational reasons. Always for political reasons.
o If you don't understand power and how to use power, then you will never achieve anything substantial.
I was a bit taken aback when I first read this but he has convinced me that it is true.
I don't really want to be that guy. I guess I shall bask in the shallows a while longer...
The book makes a number of big, bold statements:
o Nothing in human affairs is done for rational reasons. Always for political reasons.
o If you don't understand power and how to use power, then you will never achieve anything substantial.
I was a bit taken aback when I first read this but he has convinced me that it is true.
I don't really want to be that guy. I guess I shall bask in the shallows a while longer...
February 21, 2019
Формат: Книга Язык: Русский
Что-то у меня заняло достаточно много времени прочтение этой книги. Понятно, что частично из-за того что формат книги, при текущей занятости не позволяет быстрое прочтение. В любом случае - не прошло и 2-х месяцев.
Книга произвела очень смешанное впечатление. Началась очень скучно и старомодно, с отсылками к реалиям 80-х годов прошлого века, и трендила на 1-ну звезду. Но примерно с середины набрала обороты по полезности материала, и заканчивает на 4-ке. Такое честно говоря бывает редко, должен признаться. Из запомнившегося - потоки информации как инструмент власти, контроль ресурсов как инструмент власти, методы и способы получения власти, наверное пока достаточно.
К перечтению - думаю да, через несколько лет, под настроение и рабочую необходимость.
Что-то у меня заняло достаточно много времени прочтение этой книги. Понятно, что частично из-за того что формат книги, при текущей занятости не позволяет быстрое прочтение. В любом случае - не прошло и 2-х месяцев.
Книга произвела очень смешанное впечатление. Началась очень скучно и старомодно, с отсылками к реалиям 80-х годов прошлого века, и трендила на 1-ну звезду. Но примерно с середины набрала обороты по полезности материала, и заканчивает на 4-ке. Такое честно говоря бывает редко, должен признаться. Из запомнившегося - потоки информации как инструмент власти, контроль ресурсов как инструмент власти, методы и способы получения власти, наверное пока достаточно.
К перечтению - думаю да, через несколько лет, под настроение и рабочую необходимость.
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August 14, 2025
A fantastic book about power. The critical sources behind it, how it can be best utilized, how it can be abused, mismanaged and lost. And most critically, about its necessity and the requirement for one's personal will to be involved if one is to properly achieve ones goals along the way.
Whether one has power or not, its influence on the lives of individuals, organizations, corporations, institutions and governments, is pervasive. Pfeffer's book guides the reader through all of these turbulent currents and whether one is a little fish or a big 'macher' understanding the use of power is critical for everyone.
Great book, well worth the read.
Whether one has power or not, its influence on the lives of individuals, organizations, corporations, institutions and governments, is pervasive. Pfeffer's book guides the reader through all of these turbulent currents and whether one is a little fish or a big 'macher' understanding the use of power is critical for everyone.
Great book, well worth the read.
March 16, 2015
I started reading this book 15 years ago but put it aside. It directly confronted my naivete about how power, influence, and politics really work in large organizations and corporations. It provoked in me a reaction of cynicism. But now, after more experience in that world, I say "Yup! That's pretty much the way it is!"
The book is not Machiavellian, it's academic. (I could almost say it's phenomenological in the best sense.) In the case studies Prof. Pfeffer examines, one can directly see the phenomena of power, politics and influence. The clarity of his writing uncovers the critical aspects in the situations. Cynicism is not the solution.
The book is not Machiavellian, it's academic. (I could almost say it's phenomenological in the best sense.) In the case studies Prof. Pfeffer examines, one can directly see the phenomena of power, politics and influence. The clarity of his writing uncovers the critical aspects in the situations. Cynicism is not the solution.
August 5, 2014
This is an interesting book about influence in organizations and how "playing politics" is usually far more important than the quality of one's work. Unlike many non-fiction books, this book makes suggestions about how to alter one's behavior in order to navigate the political side of an organization better. For me, it has been a very enlightening and discouraging read.
Currently reading
October 16, 2007A really interesting and useful book (however, much drier than Cialdini's Influence) for examining politics in organizations. Best concept so far: The very zeal and fervor that enables an organization to be extraordinary also makes it difficult to be cognizant and responsive to paradigm shifts.
May 21, 2012
seems like a typical thin business book but it's much deeper than that. I liked the treatise defending politics within organizations...kind of a "sympathy for the devil" type of thing. Interesting read, worth your time.
October 30, 2007
The reason why I can't seem to finish any of my for-fun books...
December 14, 2007
Informative book on workplace politics.
April 14, 2008
Read it for class... but it was still good.
February 15, 2009
Good points behind the book, but too much text to make those points. This book could be half the length. It was a bear to get through quickly.
November 26, 2012
Fantastic book--stood out among all that I read during business school on topic of organizational behavior. Worth revisiting/rereading.
February 8, 2014
very good and useful book.
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