Political Dilemmas at Work: How to Maintain Your Integrity and Further Your Career

The Value of Competition

It is common sense to avoid making political adversaries, but when this happens it is no disgrace. What is more important is to understand that our competitors will have their ideas about the rules of engagement and we will have ours. It may seem that they do not play by the same rules that we do. And this may be true. Everyone works from their unique position of power and uses their own influencing strengths. It is important to use our own natural talents for influence and not copy theirs. Copying them hands them an advantage—using our own style of influence makes them react to our moves and think about what they should do. We gain the high ground and more of an advantage.

 

• Enemies and adversaries do not test you and make you stronger; they create stress and grief and consume your time and your psychic energy.

• You need good opponents to raise your game.

• Spend less time fighting adversaries and spend more time with your trusted stakeholders.

 

Our charter needs to recognize that in a competitive environment we will definitely have opponents, but sometimes, some of those rivals will become enemies.