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随着中国从最初的农业经济、计划经济与小本生意模式逐渐发展为以大型国际知名企业为特色的现代工业经济，人们成功的决定因素早已不仅仅取决于他们的创业能力与技术能力，而且也取决于他们是否能够在职场政治方面也同样游刃有余。我很高兴本书能够在中国出版。在书中，我将与大家分享重要的社会科学研究成果，以及我30多年的组织权力教学经历所得。这些知识可以帮助读者在各种类型以及各行各业的组织中生存下来，并有所作为。
正如书中所讲述的，很多人深信如果自己工作出色、技术超群就一定能获得成功。虽然工作业绩的重要性毋庸置疑，但它却并非实现成功的充分条件——不论在哪个国家都是一样。你必须让其他人注意到你的卓越表现，这就要求你能够适度进行自我推销，并建立自己的声望，哪怕稍稍夸张一些也不为过。你要让权力的拥有者清楚地了解到，你的工作能够给他们带来什么帮助，因为大多数人都会首先考虑自身的利益与需求——你的工作是否涉及他们的利益点。忠诚与富有支持力的表现会得到人们的珍视，这将有助于你争取权力。结盟关系对职业生涯的成功也至关重要，因为人们都倾向于自我感觉良好，所以一个人逢迎赞赏的能力就成为权力的重要来源，并且找到与他人的共同之处，也能够让他们与你站在同一阵营。人与人之间的关系在中国文化中尤其重要，其实社会关系在任何地方都同样重要。因此，建立高效率和高效能的社会网络、社会关系，让这些资源为你提供信息与支持，甚至会成为你职业生涯成功的关键因素。
人们往往会有这样的心理假设，那就是职场政治技能是在一个人的人格中与生俱来的。但它的确只不过是一种技能而已。研究显示，几乎任何技能都可以通过练习与辅导得到提高。如果将天才定义为有着卓越绩效的人，那么从艺术到体育，从文学到科学等各个领域对天才的研究不断显示，虽然个体能力的确有显著差异，但绩效高低最显著的决定因素是经常的练习和有效的辅导，辅导能够让练习更有效，从而带来技能上的高效提高。每个人都能够提高自己的技能，不仅仅是在网球或者高尔夫运动方面的技能，也包括在组织层级中如鱼得水的职场政治能力。
我们必须承认，我们生活在一个充满等级制度的世界里。首席执行官（CEO）只有一位，总理只有一位，国家元首也只有一位。组织结构像是一座金字塔，底层的职位远远多于上层的职位。研究显示，人们的预期寿命和健康状况与他们在组织层级中的位置密切相关——占据高层角色的高地位者比低地位者更健康、寿命更长，即使在排除了基因差异与血压、体重、血液生化等各种生理指标以后，结论也同样如此。无论是等级制度的存在，还是经济和身体健康状况与个体在等级中位置的相关性，这两个事实都意味着，人们必须为了得到关注与获得成功而展开竞争。在本书中，我为读者实现权力目的提供了目前最有用的信息。
我们当前生活的这个时代正在经历着一些重要的社会变革，其中一个最重要的变革，是责任从政府与组织层面向个体层面转移。各种公司与社会组织不断地告诉人们，必须要为自己的职业生涯、健康状况与退休生活负起责任。同时，人员流动性正在以前所未有的速度加快，新的公司与行业不断被创造出来。人们要掌握新的技能，学习新颖的观念，还要努力工作，因为成功掌握在自己手中。在这个时代，成功真正地取决于每个个体的观念以及行为，而人们迫切需要一本指南性书籍以帮助自己学习如何做到这一点。这也正是本书的写作宗旨：为个体提供必要的信息，使他们能够为自己职业生涯的成功真正承担起责任。
在写作与讲授本书内容时令我最感欣慰的，是它的实践性与立竿见影的效果，几个月甚至几周就能见效而不用等上几年。我非常期待听到中国读者借助这些理念不断成功的故事。这些理念能够帮助那些处于困境的人们，思考如何通过获取权力而走上成功之路。
真诚地希望读者能够利用本书中的理念为自己铺就一条成功与权力之路。几十年来，帮助人们获得成功是支持我不断工作与教学的动力。谨以本书将这些独特的理念与中国读者分享，对此我深感荣幸。
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 more not just on their entrepreneurial and technical abilities but on their capability to navigate organizational politics. I am pleased that the publication of this book in China 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 to 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 ability to 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, 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.
