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As China’s economy evolves from one primarily founded on agriculture, the government, and very small business to a modern industrial economy of large,internationally significant enterprises, peoples’ success will depend more and morenot just on their entrepreneurial and technical abilities but on their capability to navigate organizational politics. I am pleased that the publication of this book inChina will share important social science research and the insights that come from having taught this material on power in organizations all over the world for more than 30 years with the Chinese people. This is information that can help individuals both survive and succeed in organizations of all types and in all sectors.
As described in the pages that follow, many people believe that if they just do a good job and master the technical aspects of their job, they will be successful. Although job performance is obviously important, it is not the whole story—not in the West nor in other countries, either. People need to notice your outstanding performance—and that requires a modest, or maybe even more than modest, amount of self-promotion and reputation building. People in power need to understand how what you are doing can be helpful to them, as most individuals are concerned first and foremost with their own interests and needs—what’s in it for them. People value loyalty and support, help with their own political struggles. Building allies is crucial for career success. People like to feel good about themselves, which is why someone’s ability to flatter can be an important source of power, and why finding aspects of similarity help in getting others on your side. Relationships are particularly important in the Chinese culture, but social ties are important everywhere. That’s why the ability to build efficient and effective social networks, ties that provide information and support, are critical for career success.
There is often an implicit assumption that political skill is something inherent in a person’s personality. But political skill is just that, a skill. Research shows that virtually any skill can be improved through practice and coaching. Studies of genius, defined as outstanding levels of performance, in fields ranging from art to sports t literature to science, consistently reveal that although there are obviously important differences in individual abilities, the biggest determinant of performance is practice coupled with coaching that makes the practice particularly effective in enhancing skill. Everyone can improve—not just their tennis or golf game, but also their abilityto thrive in organizational hierarchies.
It is imperative that individuals recognize the fact that we live in a hierarchical world. There is only one CEO, one premier, one governor. Organizations are pyramids, with many more positions at the bottom than at the top. Research shows that life expectancy and health are related to one’s position in hierarchies—high status people occupying more senior roles are healthier and live longer than those occupying less exalted positions, even controlling for genetics and various physiological measurements such as blood pressure, body mass index, and blood chemistry. These two facts—the existence of hierarchy and the fact that economic and physical well-being are related to someone’s position in that hierarchy—means that it is incumbent on people to be able to compete for attention and success. In Power, I provide the best available information to help them do so.
At this time in history, we are living through some important social changes.One of the most important is the devolution of responsibility from governments and organizations to individuals. Companies and even societies increasingly are telling people that they are responsible for their own careers, their own health care, and their own retirement. Meanwhile avenues of mobility are opening up at an unprecedented rate, as new companies and industries get created. People are expected to learn new skills, master new ideas, and work hard because success is in their hands. At such a time, people need guidebooks to help them understand how to succeed in a world in which success is truly up to each individual and what they choose to do. That is what Power seeks to accomplish—to provide individuals with the information required to help them take responsibility for their own career success.
One of the most gratifying aspects of writing and teaching this material is that it can be put into practice and its results seen immediately—not years from now, but in months or even weeks. I look forward to hearing the stories of how Chinese people have implemented these ideas for their own betterment. And these are ideas that can help groups that face disadvantage, such as women, figure out how to get the power required to become more successful.
It is my sincere hope that readers will use the ideas from Power to build for themselves more successful and powerful lives. It is helping people to be more successful that has motivated my work and teaching for decades. And it is a privilege and honor to share these insights with the Chinese people.
