There’s a simple reason why even the smartest strategies can struggle or even fail. It is because people forget that change, any kind of change, is normally political.
Whether you’re trying to grow your business, shift direction, take on a leadership role, or roll out something new and important across your team, there is one truth that tends to show up time after time: success rarely hinges on the quality of your ideas alone. Great ideas are necessary but not sufficient. The truth is that success also hinges on how well you understand who holds power and how to go about working with them.
Now I am not making a Machiavellian argument here. Many offices already have a Machiavellian character who ends up doing more damage than good. Instead, I am approaching this topic of power in a more systems-aware way. In business as in politics, ethics matters for long-term success, and long-term success often depends on dealing with the world as you find it.
This is where stakeholder management becomes more than just another corporate buzzword to drop at some point during meetings. It becomes a strategic game-changer that allows you to see the power dynamics at play, which could make or break what you are ultimately seeking to achieve. It’s a skill everybody can learn, sharpen, and apply across any project, role, or career stage, making it a factor that works with them rather than against them.
Behind every great change, every bold pivot, and every business transformation that makes an impact, there’s usually a map. Not just of the marketplace but of the people involved.