How political are you? In The Secret Handshake, Kathleen puts forth two premises, which she then interweaves. Her first premise is that organizations vary in the degree to which they use politics to accomplish goals. She describes four different political climates in organizations: Minimally politicized, where the atmosphere is amicable and team oriented Moderately politicized, where rules are sanctioned and conflict is not pervasive Highly politicized, where rules are invoked when convenient and conflict is pervasive Pathologically politicized, where rules are circumvented and conflict is long lasting and pervasive. (“And,” she writes about this last kind, “my condolences if you’ve ever worked in this political climate.”)   Her second premise is that each of us has an innate preference for how we like to play politics. She identifies four political styles for individuals: The Purist, who believes in getting ahead through hard work The Team Player, who believes you get ahead by participating in politics that further the goals of the group The Street Fighter, who believes that rough tactics lead to advancement The Maneuverer, who plays political games in a skillful but unobtrusive manner, preferring to have deniability

Reardon goes out of her way to make clear that Street Fighters and Maneuverers are not inherently wicked or out to advance their own careers over the bodies of others. But, she says, people in any of the styles may find it difficult to tolerate others who have significantly different styles.

Often, when people say they hate politics, what they really mean is that they're experiencing a mismatch between their styles and the styles of others. Either the individuals they're working with have radically different styles from their own, or the organization itself favors those who have a different style. In either case, the result feels oppressive and unpleasant.

Reardon lays out how people who are politically inhibited are unlikely to match cultures that are highly political. And vice versa. She creates the following table.




Reardon bluntly states, “You can’t achieve the secret handshake (advancement and influence) in an organization that is completely antagonistic to your style.” In her wry fashion, she goes on to observe, “Investing your effort in an organization for which you’re unsuited is not a pleasant or productive way to spend a chunk of your life.”

When Danielle told me she hated politics, I wanted to know which political style felt most natural to her and whether that style was a good match with the way politics was played in her division. We determined that she actually was quite well matched with her division. Once we knew that, we began identifying actions that would strengthen her relationships during the ensuing game of musical chairs, because, after all, politics is all about relationships.

As you think about yourself as a political player, first and foremost, consider how well you manage relationships. Do you manage up as effectively as you manage down? How are your relationships with your peers? Do you know what the “word on the street” is about you? If not, do you have trusted sources who will give you good feedback? Tend your relationships well and you’ll grow your political savvy.

If, having read this Tip, you don’t have a sense of which style you are, you might read The Secret Handshake and pay particular attention to the detailed descriptors of each style. (I've reduced her descriptors to bullet points but Kathleen's eight descriptions are specific and nuanced.) There’s also a Leadership Style Inventory in the book that may help raise your awareness about your preferences. Then, study Kathleen’s recommendations for becoming politically savvy. If you can become comfortable with even half the skills she discusses, you’ll be well on your way to achieving The Look & Sound of Leadership™.