13 May, 2021

Organisational politics can be an asset to strategy execution

Identifying the types of political behaviour in your organisation is the first step to using it for positive change, says Michael Jarrett.

Image: Gajus, Shutterstock

Dysfunctional politics can sink an organisation, but it can also be a force for good. This makes many executives frown, but the reality is that politics is normal—and too often a hidden barrier to effective strategy execution. In fact, without it, some strategic changes may not be possible. Political behaviour allows differences to be shared and methods to be employed in strategy execution that go beyond the rules and norms of the organisation. Thus it’s important for leaders to understand the forms it can take and how they can harness it. While we would be naive to ignore the potentially destructive nature of politics, when deploye

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board behaviour, INSEAD, Michael Jarrett, organisational politics, strategy