The Office Politics Handbook by Jack Godwin

Author:Jack Godwin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Career Press
Published: 2013-07-27T16:00:00+00:00

In Chinese folklore, the Eight Immortals are popular mythological figures that symbolize prosperity, longevity, healthy children, and good reputation. The Eight Immortals are depicted in numerous paintings, sculptures, and tapestries, and, according to legend, they are known as scholars, genies, fairies, or philosophers with the power to give life, help people in distress, and punish wrongdoers. And so it is with political archetypes. For the sake of tradition, I have also limited the number here to eight. Why eight? I’ll let James Hillman respond: “Leadership entails learning the patterns, learning the ways of the Gods, so that one does not fall prey to the monotheistic simplification of one size fits all.”12 Although there are eight distinct types, it would be impossible to tear one away from the others and examine it in isolation. Each one is a subsystem belonging to a more complex system, or, if you prefer, a tool in the toolbox. Here is a brief summary of the eight political archetypes, the constituent elements of anthropo politicus:

1. The Servant-Leader: This archetype leads by example and wins the consent of her followers without resorting to threats of punishment or promises of reward.

2. The Rebel: This archetype personifies the opposition leader, living proof that a certain amount of political conflict is inevitable.

3. The Mentor: This archetype is the counselor who facilitates, mediates, and negotiates, and thus acquires great influence over important decisions.

4. The Recluse: This archetype personifies professional detachment, and refuses (or appears to refuse) to participate in political gamesmanship.

5. The Judo Master: This archetype personifies the Archimedean principle of leverage and using your adversary’s power to win without fighting.

6. The Resister: This archetype personifies the individual who may be overpowered, but continues to follow her political conscience and refuses to give her allegiance.

7. The Opportunist: The archetype personifies tactical dislocation: distracting your adversaries, disrupting their plans, and exploiting their most vulnerable point.

8. The Survivor: This archetype personifies the individual who has lost everything but never surrenders her moral authority.

As stated, micropolitics is a combination of one-time calculation and general pattern recognition—and for the rest of this chapter the emphasis will now shift to pattern recognition. As you read each section in the rest of this chapter, consider the similarities and subtle differences between power and leadership. Notice that some archetypes are always proactive (No. 1, the Servant-Leader, for example) while others take the initiative only in response (No. 5, the Judo Master, for example). By mastering all of the archetypes instead of relying habitually on one or two, you can win people over not just by threats of punishment and promises of reward. If you truly want to lead people—and there is no field where this is truer than in office politics—now you have an ethical alternative.

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