The invisible game that shapes your career

More than 25 years around politics, public administration and business have shown me one thing: what works in political life also works in your company. The mechanisms are similar; you just have to apply them correctly.

You prepared the perfect presentation. Figures watertight. Arguments brilliant. And then the decision is made, just not in your favour.

The meeting is full of polite agreement. But the direction has already been set. The course was set elsewhere: in conversations you were not invited to, by people whose influence does not appear in the org chart.

That is not an exception but often the norm.

Office politics is not a chaotic jumble of personal vanities. It follows recognisable patterns, similar to those at work in political systems.

The difference: politicians deal with these mechanisms systematically. Many leaders react more intuitively. This gap can cost you influence, resources and career opportunities.

The good news: this system follows rules, and rules can be recognised.

Forget org charts. They show only the official version of reality.

The decisive questions are: Who really decides when it matters? Whose opinion is heard, regardless of position? Which informal networks determine the flow of information?

A typical case: a division head wants to push through a digitalisation project. Officially the decision lies with the CTO. But the real decision-maker is the head of strategy, who has the CEO's ear. If he does not focus his energy on the CTO but wins her over first, the project can be approved before it is officially on the agenda.

Power mapping does not mean manipulating people. It means seeing reality as it is, not as the org chart presents it.

In addition: for every important stakeholder, understand what they really want, what they fear losing and how your project can contribute to their success. Much resistance arises not from malice but from fear or conflicts of interest.

Lone fighters have a hard time in complex organisations.

Those who want long-term impact forge strategic alliances across all levels of hierarchy. A typical case: a head of operations meets massive headwind with a process optimisation. Instead of fighting everyone, he builds alliances over months: he helps IT, supports HR and gives Finance better data. When his budget is later at stake, chances are good that these three areas will back him.

Alliance building does not mean handing out favours. It means strategically creating value for others before you need something yourself.

Influence does not arise by chance. Position yourself as an expert on tomorrow's topics, not today's. Become the person who delivers solutions, resolves conflicts and creates connections. Then your influence can grow without you having to fight for it.

Change initiatives often fail less because of substantive flaws than because of political resistance that was not anticipated.

Those who want to lead change successfully begin with political preparation before the official process starts. They identify resistance, talk to critical stakeholders and build coalitions of supporters. When the change officially starts, the foundation is already laid.

And in conflicts: not every battle is worth fighting. The art lies in distinguishing quickly and correctly: when to fight, when to compromise, when to retreat strategically.

Is this manipulative? Not if you remain transparent.

Strategic influence is transparent in its goals, creates value for everyone involved and builds on trust. Manipulation conceals intentions, serves only one's own interests and is short-term.

Those who want long-term impact choose the first path, not out of moral superiority, but because it works more sustainably.

Office politics affects your career every day. Do you want to keep mainly reacting? Or do you develop the strategic competence that gives you influence in complex organisations?

Professional excellence alone is often not enough. The combination of expertise and political intelligence makes the difference.

Read more: The three layers of power · How power emerges in organisations

If you are in such a situation yourself and are looking for support, write me a few sentences about what it is about: Request a consultation. I read every enquiry myself and usually reply within 24 hours on working days.