Company politics are the new competitive disadvantage

Internal business politics usually serves to create frictional surfaces or compensate for the absence of self-confidence and security for those who were without a position or simply not relevant in their youth. That it also testifies to a lack of communicative and social elegance is all the worse. Meanwhile I would almost like to say that corporate politics has its origin in democratic boredom. Because state and society are the place of politics and not the company. Careerists are tiring and obstructive to the success of a corporate entity and should therefore not play a role here.

And yet they are everywhere, especially in management positions, where leaders with an emphatic basic understanding and a heart should be sitting at the right spot. And I ask you not to misunderstand me to the extent that eccentric visionaries who act far from the norm are confused with self-loving managers who mask their own insecurity; be it through political games, suppression of employees and their creativity or simply perfectionism. For me, the latter, too, is increasingly a sign of insecurity than a real added value for the company (at least in most industries).

What makes me smile is the belief that the business world is developing with increasing speed in a direction in which constant adaptation, implementation strength, empathy and awareness are the central and also sooner or later visible success factors. If I were a patient person now, which I am not, I would concentrate on content and watch in peace how selfish people disassemble themselves in the frenzy of political games and fall into insignificance, but there is something in me that says: You have to take part in it yourself! So what to do is the question. My answer: It depends.

What I know is that the first step is always not to act politically within the company. Now one may reproach me that this is not wise and that one comes thereby into a worse position or can even take damage. But let's be honest: I'm not personally aware of any such case, as long as you don't over-dramatize the word damage. Integrity as a basis of a positivistic set of values is a key factor and, coupled with empathy, a straight flush. Moreover, this combination of qualities is selectable or at least learnable, even if charisma or eloquence are not your natural abilities. A person acting with integrity and empathy is above all always one thing: a valuable asset for his company.