Thu, Sep 13, 2007 17:54 EDT

Leaders or politicians?

Topic: IT Organization Management

Current Rating: Comments: 3

How much political savvy a CIO and other IT leaders must have? Or should they be political at all?

Leaders in any organization, private or public, need to be respected and trusted by people they surround. Who would respect decisions of some shmuck nobody trusts and admires?

Regardless of the dictionary definition, "politic" has become a dirty word. We don't put much faith in statements of today's politicians. We don't trust their facts-n-data as they often turn out to be doctored up self serving figures at best and deceptive lies presented as "plausible truth" at worst.

How would you compare Lee Iacocca to GWB?

While organization leaders hav a lot in common with political leaders, in my humble opinion, what sets a leader apart from an everyday politician is the character strength.

I produced some of my best results under leaders I respected and trusted. In my experience, the character strength earns trust, good judgement earns respect. Leaders inspire success behaviors while politicians promote survival behaviors.

I would like to hear other perspectives on this subject.

Shawn Awan

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Fri, Sep 14, 2007 6:06 EDT

Ralph Stacey's matrix

Posted by: Anonymous
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The Ralph Stacey's agreement & certainty matrix can be a good tool.
http://www.plexusinstitute.org/edgeware/archive/think/main_aides3.html

It state that politic can be usefull when issues or decisions are close to certainty and the people involved are far from Agreement.
Here politic can help to reach the agreement.
When issues or decisions are far to certainty politics is not useful and sometime can be harmful.

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Mon, Sep 17, 2007 1:20 EDT

Good Leaders should understand politicians..

Posted by: ts_rajagopal
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Hi
It is a great note.. I also feel i have been very productive in my work under a good leaders.
But I feel people are playing politics to survive or move up the ladder in many professions. Especially it affects people like myself who believe in professionalism.. What pains me more is when my leader falls to the traps of my peers who play politices...
So i feel a good leader would become a great leader by not playing politics but understand the politics in their team and recognize and reward the professional people would automatically kill the politics...

Thanks and Regards
Rajagopalan Trichy S. PMP
"A Small good deed is better than greatest Intention."

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Tue, Sep 25, 2007 14:24 EDT

Politics and Integrity

Posted by: mtruxaw
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I think you cannot get to any "C" level job without a certain amount of political savvy. Politics does not HAVE to be a dirty word. Someone who can use their political influence in an organization can bring together disparate groups, work to create win-win situations and drive change in an organization. Without some degree of political savvy, it is very difficult to get things done.

Unfortunately, many politicians sacrifice their integrity in favor of their own personal gain. I have had leaders who were very good at "playing politics" to do the right thing, and I have worked for people who "played people" to get ahead themselves while sacrificing the good of the organization.

It is not politics or leadership, but politics and leadership and most of all INTEGRITY that are important...at least in my book.

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