Political Savvy: Systematic Approaches to Leadership Behind the Scenes [Hardcover]

Joel R. DeLuca (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1999 | ISBN-10: 0966763602 | ISBN-13: 978-0966763607 | Edition: 2nd

While most people are wary or organization politics, politically savvy leaders know how to manage them. They take initiative, and they forge consensus. Ultimately, they help others maximize their impact, so the organization can continue to thrive in a highly competitive future.

Insprirational leadership without a firm grounding in organization politics risks becoming hollow rhetoric. Political Savvy discusses how successful leaders at all levels in the organization operate ethically behind-the-scenes to work the darker side of organizational life.

The book helps you analyze your own political style, (yes, everyone has one) and understand the strategies and tactics used by ethical leaders. Through quotes, grids, tools, a case study, mapping techniques and examples, the book provides a systematic, practical guide to navigating political minefields so you can increase your influence in the organization, coach others, and obtain the career success, satisfaction, and meaning you want from work.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"Political Savvy" captures what real leaders do when nobody's looking."-Kathleen F. Morris, Managing Director, Delta Consulting Group, Inc.

From the Back Cover

Comments on First Edition "DeLuca has created a smooth flowing work that delivers what it promises: a systematic approach to being an effective, ethical, behind-the-scenes leader. Must reading for the unsavvy and savvy, alike." -Stern's HR Management Review

"[FC Recommends Political Savvy: A Systematic Approach to Leadership Behind the Scenes, by Joel DeLuca.] A step by step manual for exercising influence beyond your authority." - Fast Company Magazine, April/May 1998

"The principles from this book have been essential in helping our MBA students understand how to become impact players in their own organizations, no matter what level they are at." - Stewart Friedman, Ph.D., Founding Director of the Leadership Program at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania

"An essential and practical guide for managing both the practical reality of organizational life and leading change in the face of that reality. I began using Political Savvy as a coaching tool several years ago and find it equally applicable to first time managers and senior executives." - Anita Jensen, Ph.D., Vice President Executive Development, Citibank, Inc.

"I wish I had this book early in my career... It's the first gift I gave my youngest son before he took a job after graduating from college, and I gave copies to my two older sons, as well." - Judge Richard B. Klein, Court of Common Pleas

"Political Savvy is the single best book I've read on the human side of leading change. Many of my clients have benefited from Joel's pragmatic approach to making change happen." - Robert Bruce Shaw, Ph.D., Managing Principle, Princeton MCG Consulting, Author of Trust in the Balance, Jossey-Bass, 1998

"An excellent book for new and experienced managers alike. It takes readers beyond the negative stereotypes of organizational politics and shows them how to get involved in making changes in their organizations." - Stephen Stumpf, Ph.D., Dean of Professional Development Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc.

"The topic of this book, Political Savvy, drew a surprising amount of interest. We had over two hundred requests from a variety of organisations who wanted to attend the seminar. It was unfortunate that we had to limit attendance, especially as the seminar was so very well received." -Dr. Steven Gans,Chairman, London,Institute for Management Studies

"The class sessions based upon the book were such a hit in our Management of Technology Program for engineers that we have now incorporated it permanently into the curriculum. This is a must read for all practicing technologists, engineers and scientists." - Dwight L.Jaggard,Ph.D.,Associate Dean,Graduate Education & Research, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Evergreen Business Group; 2nd edition (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966763602
• ISBN-13: 978-0966763607
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,406 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Guys Finish First June 18, 2001

By Marta Mooney ([e-mail])

Format:Hardcover

At last, a thoroughly researched, user-friendly, step- by- step guide to becoming a political savvy manager. Political savvy, according to the author, is the art of "ethically building a critical mass of support for an idea you care about." Other books describe and explain the problems created by political behavior at work. This one tells executives what to do, starting tomorrow morning, to overcome these problems and make constructive change happen." It's the book Machavelli might have written if his Prince had been an ethical straight-shooter committed to doing good works. A "must read" for every principled executive with a positive agenda, an open mind, some analytic skills, and enough self-discipline to think first and act later.

According to Dr. Deluca, political savvy is a learnable skill. Learning is a two-step process. The first is to adopt a "savvy" attitude. Consciously decide that you want to become an able, ethical player. Don't be afraid to lead. The second is to learn and practice some time-tested rules for "working the human system" to bring about positive change.

The first part of the book deals with step one--attitude adjustment. Deluca contends that "the savvy attitude is the single most important ingredient in becoming politically savvy." Two "blind spots" block many otherwise highly motivated executives from meeting this test. One is the `moral block; the other is "the rational block"

The moral block is the widely-held belief that there is something inherently wrong with "playing politics" at work. De Luca explains why this belief is unfounded. He points out that political behavior can be bad or good, depending on why and how it's used. Influencing the organization is what most managers are hired to do.... Executives with savvy attitudes explicitly recognize this responsibility. They put the organization's interest first, operate above-board, and make every effort to avoid anything that smacks of manipulation.

The rational block is the widely held belief that a sound technical argument supported by facts and logic should carry the day. Clinging to this belief in the face of mountains of contrary evidence is unproductive. It is established science that different people perceive the world differently. One well-intended manager's perfectly rational proposal may appear to another as a politically motivated fairy tale." Equally, important, different people have different personal and professional agendas. Recognizing differences and molding individual agendas to better align them with company priorities is an essential management task.

The remainder of the book describes and explains how savvy managers "work the human system" to gain support for the ideas they care about. It begins with a easy-to-follow case study that clears up any residual ambiguity about what it means to become politically savvy and showcases the basic tools and skills used by master players. The following chapters build on this material. They describe how to systematically map and analyze the political landscape, develop supporting coalitions, formulate strategy, sidestep hazards, link agendas, and use group settings to build momentum for the desired change. Every topic is presented as though the author really wants readers to understand and act on insights and expertise that he has gained from nearly twenty years of studying and teaching about organization politics. When you read it, you'll quickly understand why Political Savvy is used by leading business schools and major corporations to teach managers how become more effective leaders.

At Fordham, for some years we have wanted to teach our MBA students how to become influential managers who are recognized for their ability to work within the system to help their organizations make good things happen. We held off because no textbook was available. Joel Deluca's book fills this need. Our students swear by it. So will you. Read more ›

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Political Savvy - An Employee's Best Friend April 18, 2001

By Pat O'Reilly

Format:Hardcover

Mr. DeLuca has written a wonderfully insightful manual for success in the work place. A lightning fast and enjoyable read, this book will soften the battle scarred heart of even the most jaded and cynical Dilbert fans. The topic is the politics of the workplace, which is undoubtedly the leading cause of employee dissatisfaction everywhere. Joel DeLuca provides a wonderful case for recognizing human nature, and making a positive change in one's outlook to cherish the irrationality of the human organization that presently causes so much frustration and angst for the vast majority. I believe this book will be most beneficial to those who are experienced with, and distrustful of, organizational politics. I could tell you that I wish I read this book years ago, but I'm not sure that it would have had the same impact on my life had I not already seen office politics at its worst. This book provides some practical relief from the pressure of organizational politics, as well as a toolkit to help the reader participate in the workings in a proactive and benevolent way. This book is the culmination of a very sincere scientific investigation, presented in a manner that is not overly academic. Enjoy.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Savvy does not equate to Manipulation December 26, 2000

By Michael Ayers

Format:Hardcover

Come on, be honest. What really comes to your mind when you hear that someone has a lot of 'political savvy'? Someone sitting in a smoke-filled room making important decisions with a handful of high-rollers? A snake-oil salesman who could sell anything based on his ability to manipulate more gullible people? Someone to avoid because you don't want to become tainted? And anyway you just shouldn't have to mess with that stuff!

Joel DeLuca offers this definition: "Political Savvy: Ethically building a critical mass of support for an idea you care about." Then he notes what he excludes and what he includes in his definition. It excludes striving for power in a general way, but includes seeking influence in a specific situation. It includes caring about an idea - an interesting combination of emotion and intellect. He adds, "It's hard to overstate that the starting point for the Savvy [people] is caring about something bigger than themselves."

The book carries the subtitle, "Systematic Approaches to Leadership Behind-the-Scenes." I suppose that I always knew that effective leaders had some amount of political savvy. They seemed to know who to talk to, and how and when to talk to them. DeLuca believes you can gain in political savvy in a systematic way. He is clear about the role of results when he writes, "Leadership in the near term is making things happen. In the long term, leadership is developing people. The ultimate responsibility of a leader is not just to make things happen today but to increase the organization's capacity to make things happen tomorrow. The best leaders accomplish this by developing others to become leaders...." The role of the leader includes attention to the sustainability of the organization and the development of the next generation.

For an organization to survive, it must take care of business. Helping develop others includes increasing their understanding of how organizations actually do take care of business. DeLuca offers this definition: "Organization Politics: How power and interest play out in the organization." Thus, politics is not inherently negative or positive, it just is. He also highlight two common blocks people encounter. The Moral Block carries an implication that 'organizational politics' equates to 'manipulation' and thus creates an ethical barrier. The Rational Block says that we should not need to descend to such means - the idea's obvious strengths should be enough. DeLuca counters that the Politically Savvy person accepts that organizational politics is just another fact of life.

Now here we have two provocative ideas: organizational politics is not a sort of necessary evil to tolerate; and you can be politically savvy and ethical at the same time. Well, that makes an interesting theory, but how might those of us who are 'savvy-impaired' make that systematic progress? DeLuca offers several ideas which he sets out in the form of a mini-case study. An important decision-making meeting is pending. You know certain things about the people involved, their connections with one another, their priorities and potentially show-stopping concerns.

So what strategy does he offer to get the decision to go your way? He offers a scheme to visually map out who is leaning how strongly and in which direction, and who holds sway over whom. Making this information explicit allows you to construct a strategy to ensure that not only do you take the right steps, but you take them in the most productive sequence. He stresses 'agenda linking' (showing how the ends you want support the ends that someone else wants) and following the path of relationships (where people talk to people who trust them). The goal, after all, is to create a base of support. "An ethical alliance - which is the opposite of a manipulative conspiracy - has several benefits: convergent validity, task legitimacy, enhanced ethicalness, and maneuverability." We want it to be clear that we are acting in the best interests of the organization as we see them and not fomenting a mutiny.

Do I feel more savvy now, having read his book (and even attended a one-day seminar)? Well, yes, a little bit. I certainly have new things to consider as I try to move the organizations with which I'm involved. Most of all, I know that my preferred political style needs work. I need to develop a more active approach with a more positive attitude toward politics. (I almost wrote 'mere politics' - I'm learning!) Read more ›

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Savvy has to be ethical November 6, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

I have just retired after 32 years in a major Fortune 10 company and I have to commend Joel DeLuca on the excellence of his book. I think the tools he provides are of outstanding practical value and highly useable on a day to day basis. But I think his emphasis on the ethical nature of savvy work is critical. His description of Machs or Machiavellis who seek power only for its own sake to advance themselves, is extremely realistic, convincing and a challenge to principle people to take back organization politics from the pecking order obsessives and make organizations own awowed purpose a central guiding light. I loved the story of the Elephant trap dug for a Mack who usually stole the glory for everyone else's hard work....more elephant trap stories please....the Mack only fell in the pit, if she behaved unethically....cheered me up enormously.