Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't

I just finished reading Jeffrey Pfeffer's POWER and tomorrow it will become required reading for all my MBA students. Pfeffer has spent his career researching and writing about power and this is his best work yet. You don't have to be an academic to understand, appreciate and use what Pfeffer has learned about power, but, if you are an academic, you will appreciate how he has backed up all his advice with good data. Anyone planning a career in management needs to understand power--how to get it, use it, keep it, and, when the time is right, give it up gracefully. This book shows you how. My only criticism is that I would have liked to have seen a chapter on using power ethically. With all the business scandals of late, it wouldn't hurt to remind readers not to abuse others with the power you acquire. Power, like money, it neither good or bad; it all depends on what you do with it. Using power to get into a position where you can make a positive difference and applying that power to implement needed change can be done ethically but Pfeffer fails to address that fact. However, this book is the best I've seen at helping others understand the facts about power. If you want to make a difference in practically any walk of life, this book is a must read.

Leadership without moral standards is a serious issue as the desire for more power is addictive, as the author correctly states on page 196. Can you expect that leaders that are addicts to act responsibly? Of course not!

In every ordered society you will find a government, businesses and many other organization. Every organization has a leader at the top and leaders at several levels below him or her, the hierarchy. The leaders at the top can and has to make decisions only he can make because he is the only one that can see the total picture. His decisions have far greater consequences than those in the level below, even though the decisions at all levels including executing tasks like selling and producing have to made too for an organization to survive. To make decisions get them executed requires power. Power is necessary, automatic as it comes with a position in the hierarchy. An organization without a functioning power structure is in chaos or anarchy.

Power has to be exercised responsibly. That implies that the power holder must consider what is best for the organization or part of it for which he is responsible. A leader that bases his decisions on what increases his power and salary the most will often make the decisions that are not in the interest of the company.

In my view power is a means to an end, to get done something useful. If power becomes an end in itself as the author recommends, it becomes addictive. There many examples in the book of the desire for power determining the action, regardless of a moral standard. Just one important example

The Board of Directors is legally responsible that the Chief Executive acts in the interest of the company as a whole and not in his own personal interests. What is the author's advice? On page 175 the case is described of a chief executive that engages a compensation consultant to prove that he was underpaid. This is a well-known trick. The chairman of the compensation committee of the board objected to the raise. The CEO won, and the CEO saw to it that the Chairman of the compensation left the board. The lesson of the author, " if you want to keep your position go along".

Of course this happens. Should the moral standard of a member of the board be to not say anything the Chef Executive does not like? Of course not. A board member that does not intervene when he becomes aware that the CEO was not acting in the interest of the company may be sued. If you want to know what a responsible board member would do, read, "Boards that deliver" by Ram Charan to get a second opinion.

This is just one example of the wrong advice. It would take many pages to describe all the recommendations that show dubious moral standards. Be warned, keep in mind the fate of ENRON with leaders that manipulated and aimed for power and wealth, one is still in prison.

The book is definitely helpful to leaders that decide on promotions to weed out the power-wealth driven manipulators. Here and there you can find useful ideas like in the section about networking and examples of taking initiatives.

A great deal of what the book describes is common sense, like do not tell your boss that he should stop getting angry. Read it with a critical mind, do not feel flattered when you read something you already knew and feel happy that the author agrees with you, remember that one lesson is you as a reader can never be flattered too much (p. 35), and most important, do not fall in the trap of becoming a power-addicted leader.

Why should you want power? Having power is related to living a longer and healthier life - the degree of job control (decision authority and discretion) predicted the incidence and mortality risk from coronary artery disease more than obesity and blood pressure. Second, power and the visibility and stature that accompany it can produce wealth. Third, power is a part of leadership - ergo, leaders are invariably preoccupied with power. People think that if they do a good job and behave appropriately, things will take care of themselves. However, the belief that the world is a just place anesthetizes people to the need to be proactive in building a power base.

Leaders touting their own careers frequently gloss over the power plays they used to get to the top. Pfeffer also contends that while the teaching on leadership is filled with prescriptions on being modest, truthful, not being abusive, etc., the path to power bears little resemblance to that advice. As for being rewarded for doing a good job, Pfeffer cites examples involving highly successful leaders (eg. Rudy Crew - Miami-Dade School Supt, Ken Kizer - VA Health Administration leader, Jamie Dimon at Citibank, Arthur Blank and Bernard Marcus at Handy Dan Home Improvement Centers, and Steve Jobs at Apple - all exemplary successes at their posts, yet forced out; meanwhile, there are also numerous CEOs who kept their jobs despite very poor organizational outcomes. (Eg. According to one study, CEOs presiding over three straight years of poor performance, followed by bankruptcy, only faced a 50% chance of losing their jobs. Having a significant ownership position, a mostly 'inside' board helped protect those failed CEOs.)

You should not assume that your boss knows or notices what you are accomplishing - your first responsibility is to ensure that those at higher levels know what you are accomplishing, and the best way to ensure they know is to tell them. Most people believe they know what their bosses care about - but, it is much more effective to ask them, on a regular basis, what aspects they think are the most crucial and how they see what you ought to be doing. Asking for assistance, in a way that still conveys your competence and command of the situation, is an effective way of flattering those with power over you.

Worry about the relationship you have with your boss at least as much as you worry about your job performance. If your boss makes a mistake, see if someone else will point it out; if you do it yourself, do it in a way that does not implicate that individual's own self-concept. Most people underestimate the effectiveness of flattery and therefore underutilize it.

One way to provide feedback to high-level executives, who mostly have huge egos, is to focus on emphasizing what people need to do to get ready for subsequent positions and career challenges, rather than giving feedback about what they have done right and wrong in the past. Get advice from others who will tell you the truth about yourself.

The two fundamental dimensions that distinguish those who rise to great heights are 'will,' the drive to take on big challenges, and 'skill,' the capabilities required to turn ambition into accomplishment. The three personal qualities embodied in will are ambition, energy ('You don't change the world by first taking a nap.' Laura Esserman; sleep less), and focus. The four skills useful in acquiring power are self-knowledge (eg. extensive reading) and a reflective mindset (eg. review prior actions for opportunities to improve), confidence and the ability to project self-assurance, the ability to read others and empathize with their point of view (eg. know what they want, understand the N. Vietnamese point of view - McNamera), and a capacity to tolerate conflict (eg. stand up to Rahm Emmanuel, Steve Jobs).

Intelligence seldom accounts for much more than 205 of the variation in work performance, and the relationship between performance and attaining power is equally weak. A meta-analysis examining 85 data sets from a variety of countries concluded that the correlation between intelligence and income was 0.4. People who are smart think they can do everything on their own and do it better than everyone else - thus, they may fail to bring others along with them. Being smart can cause overconfidence and even arrogance - leading to the loss of power. And many of the people who seem to have the most difficulty putting themselves in other's place are those who are so smart they can't understand why the others don't get it.

Diagnosing departmental power important for deciding where to begin work in an organization. Pfeffer suggests looking at relative pay for various departments, physical location (nearest top management) and facilities, representation on committees and in senior management. However, starting within a strong power base likely also entails stronger competition.

'Authority is 20% given, 80% taken.' If you are going to take power, you need to project confidence. Give people your full attention - eg. put away the iPhone. Research shows that people who express anger are seen as 'dominant, strong, competent, and smart,' while sad and guilty people are viewed as low-status. Dressing up is also helpful.

If someone challenges the strategy - eg. how a company is competing, measuring success, what the strategy is, who the real competitors are now and in the future - this can be a very potent power play. The need to resist an external threat (eg. United Airlines, IBM), real of imagined, has always been an extremely effective rallying cry for strengthening group solidarity. Lists (eg. three items) make a speaker appear as if he has thought about the issue thoroughly. Use 'us vs. them' constructs structured favorably to your ideas. (Do you want greedy insurance companies who drop people when they get sick deciding on your care, or would you like to leave those decisions to you and your doctor?) Avoid using a script or notes. Use humor where appropriate - eg. Reagan's reference to his opponents youth (vs. his own age).

I've been shuffling among academe, consulting, and private-sector executive positions for 35 years and this book really saddens me. (So much that I am writing my first the store review). The book promises to tell you about the "real" nature of leadership opportunities, disabuse you of your naive notions about what you might wish were true, and provide you with a set of techniques so you can successfully accumulate power. In a nut shell: liars, bastards, suck-ups and backstabbers win promotions most of the time and if you want to garner power, it's more important to play the game than to perform well. Which, I guess I actually agree with to a large degree, but that's only news to an academic. Ask any VP or above in a large corporation or see how many senior executives leave any company "happy." But what really makes me sad . . . I would have hoped that a professor of OB at Stanford would have included a chapter discussing whether this is a morally reasonable situation or at least what the instrumental impact on organizational effectiveness might be.

Some specifics: the word "ethics" does not appear in the index (nor in the book as far as I can tell); he uses Oliver North's testimony before Congress (you know -- when he lied) as a great example of effective "power speech"; he applauds Rahm Emanuel's profane screaming outbursts as effective positioning; he says that if a CEO trusts ANYONE, he (or possibly she) is a fool; that people actually like to work in hierarchic control and will gravitate to you if you are powerful even if they despise you. All of this without even a small nod to ethical or moral questions. And he never, ever questions whether one should consider pursuing happiness, satisfaction, spiritual fulfillment, or family rather than "power." (I'm not making this up: the last sentences in the book are, "So seek power as if your life depends on it. Because it does.")

The book comes across as kind of a scholar's version of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" minus the humor or an updated version of "The Prince" minus the historical gravitas. But what depresses me even more is that the reviews (as far as I've seen) are positive -- applause for "telling it like it is!" and "I've made this mandatory for my MBA classes." I'm really saddened at what our field has to offer. No wonder more and more people question whether business degrees are worth the money and whether business schools are fueling a pandemic of moral blindness.

Could I be reading it wrong?

The author lays out the behaviors that lead to power dominance in any primate animal species, including the human ape. This book proves that any notion of human morality is illusory, although these ape behaviors are designed to avoid murder as the means to power, and that's a kind of morality. And tit-for-tat deal making could be construed as a concern for the ethical principle of reciprocity. Stop worrying about why the world is misruled. Instead take this book to heart and become one of those who rules.

This book has really been eye-opening. I highly recommend it to anyone in the working world, esp. someone early in their career, in economic times like these where jobs are becoming more cut-throat. I have always wondered why bright qualified people have spells of unemployment and temp jobs. I always hear about ppl with little or no experience getting a powerful position at a firm. I always wondered why someone like Paul Krugman, who has made his name into a prestigious brand, can command $50,000 to advise a firm for 2 days. The difference is that it all comes down to politics. Some people can play the game and are more aware of what they're getting into than others. The book promotes itself is a modern day "Prince". However, what distinguishes Machiavelli from this author is that Machiavelli believed that fortune decided half of our fate. I agree with Machiavelli that half of it is just luck, a dimension that the author never goes into. I do not believe ppl can perfectly control their environments at all times and that some ppl just have good fortune, in addition to skill and calculation, while others do not. The author also fails to mention that most ppl get rich b.c of inherited wealth or they married into wealth, which they used to generate more wealth. Some ppl get ahead bc they were born into a family with a lot of connections. I do fully agree with the author that you have the power to influence outcomes in your own life, but I wish the author touched on topics like fatalism, luck and privilege. Then the book would be more Machiavellian and perhaps a bestseller.

The author attempts to convince the reader to believe his model that people in positions of power are of the characteristics that he describes by selecting few examples that are already known to match those characteristics, and describing each example in detail. It lacks cross-validation and testing, i.e. he does not show that if he were to pick a random person in significant power, he would have a high chance of matching most of the characteristics described. He claims statistically that emulating those features increases the probability of rising to power, but the book lacks the scientific research and data to back that claim.

An interesting read, especially good in explaining misunderstandings around this 'loaded' concept of power and influence within you, within a team or organization. I would certainly recommend Jefffrey Pfeffer's excellent article on 'Power Play' (HBR July 2010) to get a good overview on this topic.

Here I liked Jeffrey Pfeffer's ability to point out the importance in how to deal, handle and use power. He points out to the actual reality regarding power play in all organizations. I can imagine for example that the chapter 'It takes more than performance' will be an eye-opener for many. If I want to be completely honest I have to say I liked some of Pfeffer's other books better, still this book here is probably going to have the biggest impact on yourself and in your career if applied properly.

Highly recommended, especially if you have strong reservations regarding 'power'.

Content:

Introduction: be prepared for power
- Why you should want power
- Stop thinking, the world is just a place
- Beware of the leadership literature
- Get out of your own way
- A guide to using this book

1. It takes more than performance.
- The weak link between performance and job outcomes
- Get noticed
- Define the dimensions of performance
- Remember what matters to your boss
- Make others feel better about themselves

2. The personal qualities that bring influence
- Change is always possible
- Do an objective self-assessment
- Seven important personal qualities that build power
- Intelligence

3. Choosing where to start
- Unexpected paths to power
- What makes some departments more powerful than others
- Diagnosing departmental power
- The trade-off: A strong power base versus less competition

4. Getting in: Standing out and breaking some rules
- Asking works
- Don't be afraid to stand out and break the rules
- Likability is overrated

5. Making something out of nothing: Creating resources
- Creating something out of almost nothing

6. Building efficient and effective social networks
- A definition of networking and networking skills
- Networking jobs
- The ability to network is important in most jobs
- Network skills can be taught and learned
- Spend sufficient time
- Network with the right people
- Create a strong structural position
- Recognize the trade-offs

7. Acting and speaking with power
- Acting with power
- Speaking powerfully

8. Building a reputation: Perception is reality
- You get only one chance to make a first impression
- Carefully consider and construct your image
- Build your image in the media
- Overcome the self-promotion dilemma
- The upside of some negative information
- Remember : Image creates reality

9. Overcoming opposition and setbacks
- Overcoming opposition: How and when to fight
- Coping with setbacks

10. The price of power
- Cost 1: Visibility and public scrutiny
- Cost 2: The loss of autonomy
- Cost 3: The time and effort required
- Cost 4: Trust dilemmas
- Cost 5: Power as an addictive drug

11. How - and why - people lose power
- Overconfidence, disinhibition, and ignoring the interests of others
- Misplaced or too much trust
- People lose patience
- People get tired
- The world changes, but tactics don't
- Leave gracefully

12. Power dynamics: Good for organizations, good for you?
- Power and hierarchy are ubiquitous
- Influence skills are useful for getting things done
- Political influence versus hierarchy in decision making

13. It's easier than you think
- Building your path to power
- Surviving and succeeding in organizations

For further reading and learning

Jeffery Pfeffer offers a well-crafted, how-to manual of gaining power in an organization through his aptly titled book. There are several themes throughout the book that sometimes do not seem entirely righteous including: the world is not just or fair (get over it); be your own champion and promoter; do not worry about being well-liked; and do not pass over or delegate power. The lessons may not always be pleasant, and they may seem Machiavellian to the delicate (he finally references The Prince by name on page 86); but they are probably correct.

Pfeffer's first lesson from the beginning of the book is to ignore overly-inspiring leadership books from the likes of Rudolph Giuliani and Jack Welch; among scores of other authors. Their genre may emphasize collaboration, positivity, and respect. But, they gloss over the more sordid details of how one truly gains power. In other words, reading a (semi) autobiographical legacy piece will not help an aspiring power holder.

From there, Pfeffer digs into the details on where to start (grab on to everything, become an expert), overcoming one's anxiety about power, getting noticed, flattery (otherwise known as sucking up), and the obligatory chapter on networking.

Pfeffer's contrarian bent; or perhaps more aptly; his unabashed honestly, is the most refreshing aspect of the book. One can grab power more quickly if one dispels the suppositions that the world is just, that intelligence and competence alone will reap rewards, or that focusing on the small tasks is a one-way ticket to middle management (quite the contrary - learning what no one else knows is the best way to grab power).

The greatest strength of the book lies in its organization. Pfeffer obviously wrote from an outline, which is seemingly a lost art. The chapter, section, and subsection headings were apparent, efficient, related, and fluid in what could easily be a dry topic. One will never lose sight of the points that Pfeffer articulates in each section.

There were a couple of dry spells. The aforementioned networking chapter could have been combined with the preceding chapter entitled "Making something out of nothing." And, most the anecdotes and examples that Pfeffer employed to solidify his points were uninspiring at best; and completely unrelated at worst.

Those with sensitive gag reflexes may have difficulty in certain sections. Some of the advice seems off-putting, cold, and calculated, if not outright devious. But, Pfeffer manages to bring the lessons back to the forthright and respectful. If contrived anger, false praise, and shameless self-indulgence makes one's stomach curl (say, for example, if one is not a psychopath), one can learn many of these techniques in a (mainly) positive way. There are costs and rewards to achieving power; and Pfeffer's outline is an unvarnished success for showing the way.

If power corrupts, why does everyone lust after it and worship those who have it? Power - used wisely - can keep you healthy, make you rich and let you achieve great things for humanity. Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor of organizational behavior, explains why seeking power is in your best interest and shows you how to attain power and keep it. He debunks the objections you usually hear from the powerless and the powerful alike. He lays out a step-by-step guide on how to start building your power, what you'll need and, most important, what it'll cost you to achieve. getAbstract recommends Pfeffer's somewhat-less-than-Machiavellian, but still useful, book to anyone who ever has felt powerless in work or in life and wants to power up.

"You can compete and even triumph in organizations of all types, large and small, public or private sector, if you understand the principles of power and are willing to use them," according to Jeffrey Pfeffer in this book. It is a message that sounds uncomfortably more like the philosophy of Nietzsche than that of Jesus, but the book provides plenty of evidence to demonstrate that the author is right.

Chapter 2 describes seven important personal qualities that build power: ambition, energy, focus, self-knowledge, confidence, empathy with others, and capacity to tolerate conflict. Subsequent chapters discuss how to start building a power base, how to build effective social networks, how to act with power, how to build a reputation, overcoming setbacks, the price of power, and how and why power is lost.

The book is written well, and what the author says about power seems true, but I would still feel uncomfortable in following some of his advice. Like Machiavelli, the author describes a path to power devoid of moral scruples. In my view, however, power is not a desirable end in itself, and power used for selfish purposes rather than for the benefit of others is power abused. Nonetheless, I recommend this book because of the important knowledge it contains.

Pfeffer encourages the reader to look closely at one of the things we covert most deeply: feeling powerful. Written in conversational prose, Pfeffer lays out just what power is, and how it is so easily misguided. You will leave this book with a renewed idea of how to feel more powerful, and at the same time, more content. two things that should always go together. Claire Dorotik- Nana, author, LEVERAGE: The Science of Turning Setbacks into Springboards.

This is perfect for anyone who has been recently promoted,aspires to be, or is frustrated with the games people. It is blunt, commonsense, and to the point but avoid the seedy feeling of The Prince and its like. This book may be simplistic for insiders and old hands, but it is a great primer for those of us who are trying to tread water with the sharks.

Rarely have I come across a business-practices book that's a real page-turner. But Jeffrey Pfeffer's Power was exactly that for me.

If this was merely a collection of narratives of how the high and mighty have risen--and fallen--through their mastery (or fumbling) of the power principles Pfeffer espouses, it would stand on its own as a good read. Yet Power offers much more than a glimpse of the intriguing leadership battles that occur within the highest echelons of corporate, nonprofit, academic, and government realms.

Power's real value arises from its invitation to the reader to step directly onto the power playing field themselves. Although Pfeffer acknowledges that such tactics as strategically deploying anger, interrupting others, and facing conflict head-on may appear distasteful for gentler souls, a world of potential riches awaits those with the boldness to carry out these actions.

If you're not quite ready to employ overtly aggressive behaviors, Pfeffer offers a wealth of other tools that can build or enhance your standing in an organization. These include asking for help (whoever grants you help has their power reinforced and, consequently, will win your loyalty), having empathy for others (putting yourself in their shoes can disarm their opposition to you), and volunteering to take on mundane tasks that others avoid (performing such tasks with excellence can bring you positive recognition in surprising ways).

While being instructive and eye-opening, Power's contents can also be sobering. Despite extolling the financial and health benefits of possessing power, Pfeffer devotes an entire chapter to addressing the downside of power in terms of lifestyle sacrifices, addictive qualities (withdrawing from power or having it usurped can challenge you on the most visceral level), and the draining cost of vigilantly protecting your power on a daily basis.

Even more sobering was how the book caused me to examine my own relationship with power. In gaining exposure to Pfeffer's ideas, I found myself contemplating instances where I've given my power away, or have shied away from power for fear of sparking confrontations. Admitting to a long-held belief that power wasn't my birthright has, perhaps, been the most painful revelation to wrestle with.

If Power causes me a problem, it's that it makes it more difficult to accept that power is the exclusive currency of others who are more capable, stronger, and gifted. With Pfeffer asserting that each of us is responsible for obtaining and maintaining our power, we're robbed of the luxury of blaming others for our lack of power. However, I'm intending to turn this theft into a blessing by trying many of his suggestions. Although taking such actions seems daunting, the prospect for moving my life forward in unprecedented ways is too appealing to ignore.

I thought Pfeffer was going to dispense something new and enlightened to define why certain people had influence and others don't. All he did was rehash the Gordon Gecko model of leadership, which is boiled down to be cunning, manipulate others by telling them what they want to hear and master the political game in whatever organization or industry you want to gain power in.

Not sure how this book has gotten such high ratings, unless it's being read by people without a soul or moral compass to not step on others necks to advance their career.

Dan Pink's Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us is a much more enlightened approach to leadership by helping everyone around you gain autonomy, achieve mastery in their craft and have a burning purpose for it. Granted, he doesn't spell out how to gain power and influence directly, but it's pretty obvious that his approach to empowerment will lead to power and influence and be much more sustainable than the poor examples Pfeffer cites.

Very glad I didn't waste any money on this book as it was readily available at my library.

I really enjoyed this book, especially Chapter 5 and the section 'Asking is Flattering' about how one author was able to get endorsements for his book. Other books explain how to do this more in-depth, like Celebrity Leverage: Insider Secrets to Getting Celebrity Endorsements, Instant Credibility and Star-Powered Publicity, or How to Make Your Business - Plus Yourself - Rich and Famous and Secrets to Contacting Celebrities: 101 Ways to Reach the Rich and Famous, but this book provided a lot of valuable insight as well. One of my favorite tips was to make sure your request flatters the person you are asking. Although geared to acquiring power in the workplace, many of the tips can be applied to others areas of your life as well. Highly recommended!

Finally a book that offers practical, straight forward, politically incorrect guidance. This writer has obviously spent time in the trenches, and he passes on his knowledge with a clarity and honesty that is utterly absent from self-help books these days. I see that some readers found this book unethical, but I didn't get that at all. The guy is writing about power. He has to present things the way they ARE, not how they should be. By the end of the book you'll find that he's been completely candid without being negative or pessimistic. Nothing he suggests, in my opinion, is the least bit immoral. Just fantastic advice that you can immediately apply to your life.

I absolutely loved Professor Pfeffer's book. I'm a business professional, and I read all the time. There are few books I have read more than once, and Power is definitely among them.

The book tells you in the most honest way how it really is. What power is all about. Good, bad, it's for you too judge, but it's key to understand what it takes, how to get power, how to keep it.

The book is full of advice, and lessons for both those just starting out in any career, and those who might feel a little stuck, and aren't sure why.

Professor Pfeffer proves to be a wonderful instructor in this concise and precise volume on power and influence. For those who are avid readers of the personal development genre, this book is a must. Power, for some reason, has gotten a bad rap, and Pfeffer here provides objective analysis of the subject.

To get your message heard, whether as a business professional, an author, an artist, or a politician, you need a platform from which you can deliver that message. Seeking power is often the only way you'll ever become enough of a 'name' within your industry or discipline to gain the audience you seek.

At first glance, Power would seem to be at odds with books like Good to Great by Jim Collins. Here, I'd beg to differ. In line with the Stockdale Paradox Mr. Collins discusses, Power gets readers to confront the brutal truth of the environment in which they operate, and then gives them the tools to prevail within the various hierarchies of power they manage daily. Power is a manual for navigating the power structures that pervade our world.

The practical and relatable case studies, the nuanced discussion of self-handicapping, and the thoughtful structure of the book each contribute to the project's mission. I imagine this book will become an enduring treatise for budding young professionals who, in this age of self-promotion, will benefit from internalizing its many lessons.

Interesting and entertaining but not necessarily new. I got a bit tired of the author reminding us of the same examples/people over and over again but I understand why he did it. On the whole, worth reading with some nuggets of actionable information. I definitely agree with other reviewer who said that this book does not address ethics or happiness or quality of life (at least not in a meaningful way). But like I said, interesting and entertaining.

I have read and reviewed all of the previous books that Jeffrey Pfeffer wrote or co-authored and consider this one his most valuable because his focus is much less on dysfunctional organizations and how to resuscitate them; indeed, he focuses almost entirely on what any ambitious person needs to understand about what power is...and isn't. Unlike his approach in any other of the previous books, Pfeffer establishes a direct rapport with his reader and seems to be saying, in effect, "Over the years, I've learned a great deal about power will now share with you what I hope you will find most interesting and, more to the point, most useful." In the Introduction, for example, he suggests that having power is related to living a longer and healthier life, that power and the visibility and stature that accompany can produce wealth, and that power is part of leadership and necessary to get things done, whatever the nature and extent of the given objectives may be. "Power is desirable to many, albeit not all, people, for what it can provide and also a goal in and of itself."

Although Pfeffer does not invoke the core metaphor from Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" in The Republic, I think it is especially relevant to the various misconceptions about power that Pfeffer refutes. The situation in Plato's allegory is that people are located in a darkened cave watching shadows dance on a wall. (The source of light is outside the cave.) They think they are watching ultimate realities. Rather, what they observe are images, yes, but also distortions. The same is true of the "just world hypothesis" that the world is predictable, comprehensible, and therefore potentially controllable. Worse yet, it implies that "people get what they deserve; that is, that the good people are likely to be rewarded and the bad to be punished. Most important," Pfeffer adds, "the phenomenon works in reverse: if someone is seen to prosper, there is a social psychological tendency for observers to decide that the lucky person must have done something to deserve his good fortune."

Pfeffer insists that the world is neither just nor unjust: it is. He also challenges "leadership literature" (including his contributions to it) because celebrity CEOs who tout their own careers as models tend to "gloss over power plays they actually used to get to the top" whereas authors such as Pfeffer offer "prescriptions about how people [begin italics] wish [end italics] the world and the powerful behaved." Pfeffer also suggests that those aspiring to power "are often their own worst enemy, and not just in the arena of building power" because of self-handicapping, a reluctance (perhaps even a refusal) to take initiatives that may fail and thereby diminish one's self-image. "I have come to believe that the biggest single effect I can have is to get people to [begin italics] try to become powerful." Pfeffer wrote this book as an operations manual for the acquisition and retention of power. Of even greater importance, in my opinion, he reveals the ultimate realities of what power is...and isn't...and thereby eliminates the shadows of illusion and self-deception that most people now observe in the "caves" of their current circumstances.

Here are a few of Pfeffer's key points that caught my eye, (albeit out of context):

In the workplace, "as long as you keep your boss or bosses happy, performance really does not matter that much and, by contrast, if you upset them, performance won't save you." (Page 21)

"Asking for help is something people often avoid. First of all, it's inconsistent with the American emphasis on self-reliance. Second, people are afraid of rejection because of what getting g turned down might do to their self-esteem. Third, requests for help are based on their likelihood of being granted." (Page78)

"Power and influence [within social networks] come not just from the extensiveness of your network and the status of its members, but also from your structural position within that network. Centrality matters. Research shows that centrality within both advice and friendship networks produces many benefits, including access to information, positive performance ratings, and higher pay." (Page 119)

"Not only are reputations and first impressions formed quickly, but they are durable. Research has identified several processes that account for the persistence of initial reputations or, phrased differently, the importance of the order in which information is presented. All three processes are plausible. We don't need to know which is operating to worry about making a good first impression." (Pages 150-151)

Note: The three processes are attention decrement, cognitive discounting, and a version of the self-fulfilling prophecy, joined by a fourth (biased assimilation), all of which Pfeffer explains on Pages 151-153.

"Michael Marmot's study of 18,000 British civil servants - all people working in office jobs - in the same society - uncovered that people at the bottom of the hierarchy had [begin italics] four times [end italics] the risk of death as those at the top. [Check out Marmot's The Status Syndrome: How Social Standing Affects Our Health, published by Times Books.] Controlling for risk factors such as smoking or obesity did not make the social gradient in health disappear, nor did statistically controlling for longevity of one's parents. As Marmot concludes, `Social circumstances in life predict health.' So seek power as if your life depends on it. Because it does." (Page 236)

Much of great value has been written about how to establish and then sustain a "healthy" organization. The fact remains, that cannot be achieved without enough people who possess sufficient power. In my opinion, Jeffrey Pfeffer is determined (obsessed?) to increase the number of such people, one reader at a time. Hopefully those who read this book will help others to acquire the power they need to be successful, influential, and most important of all healthy.

This book is simply repugnant. There is no sense of ethics or a moral compass for leadership throughout; instead, Pfeffer consistently lauds and encourages unethical behaviors. For example, he actually celebrates a medical professional curtailing a program to provide care to the poor in order to satisfy her boss (page 53). Instead of "doing the right thing", Pfeffer writes, the woman (laudably, he thinks) changed her position "to advance [her] own agenda." The book is also full of misinformation (he claims Sonia Sotomayor only got into Princeton undergrad because of affirmative action) and non sequiturs (he says 40% of people write misinformation on their resume...therefore suggesting you should, too?)

Pfeffer is a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Can you imagine that he is teaching these things to students who are going on to become global business leaders? It is incredibly sad.

I have several degrees, including an MBA from a top 10 program. I make my living as a 7-figure consultant.

This book is typical for a professor. A lot of anecdotes and case studies along with his speculation/explanation, but like all business professors I've ever had, he has absolutely no practical experience.

Is he right? About some things, in my experience. He doesn't have a clue regarding others. But it's all pure speculation from an academic that's never gotten his hands dirty in the real world of business. Every paragraph is about the experience of some other person.

Building on scientific studies and empirical evidence, Pfeffer shows that we have no choice but recognizing the necessity of organizational politics and tells us how to act strategically to reach a position of power.

This brilliant book is a must-read if your ambition is to become a CEO... or just to keep your job!

From an HR point of view, this book is also very useful, as it helps us identify the personal characteristics that will allow someone to become a real leader: ambition, energy, focus, self-knowledge, confidence, empathy, capacity to tolerate conflict.

This was a good overview of organizational politics. There wasn't much meat to any subject but did provide plenty of direction for further reading. I liked the frequent use of real examples of prominent business leaders.

I have just completed reading this book, and I must state that this is the most comprehensive and useful book for anyone who is looking to gain power in a organization. I am convinced that the valuable wisdom contained in this gem from Jeffery Pfeffer provides much needed insight into the complex world of corporate power and hierarchy. More than just a book, I am convinced this must have literary work is a road map for success in any job or industry.

This is a solid, easy read full of incredible insights. I wished it had been published a long time ago! Pfeffer addresses issues such as networking and communicating in a straightforward, no-nonsense fashion. A must-read.

Are you kidding me? This book is complete waste of money. I suggest check it out of the library before you buy this turkey. I am not sure why the other reviewers are fawning of this book. It is unoriginal and simple minded. I am in "business" and flattering somebody is considered insincere. I beleive respect for others is helpful. I am not sure how much respect our intellegence is respected when we are told that the sad fact of the world is might makes right. I wonder how time Pfeffer spent with social darwinian material to get to this earth shattering conclusion. I think his insights could be boiled down into one sentance: Use your common sense in almost all situations. And you also must not forget that you evaluate yourself way to high. Great self-esteem stuff. Don't buy it.

This is perfect for anyone who has been recently promoted,aspires to be, or is frustrated with the games people. It is blunt, commonsense, and to the point but avoid the seedy feeling of The Prince and its like. This book may be simplistic for insiders and old hands, but it is a great primer for those of us who are trying to tread water with the sharks.

Rarely have I come across a business-practices book that's a real page-turner. But Jeffrey Pfeffer's Power was exactly that for me.

If this was merely a collection of narratives of how the high and mighty have risen--and fallen--through their mastery (or fumbling) of the power principles Pfeffer espouses, it would stand on its own as a good read. Yet Power offers much more than a glimpse of the intriguing leadership battles that occur within the highest echelons of corporate, nonprofit, academic, and government realms.

Power's real value arises from its invitation to the reader to step directly onto the power playing field themselves. Although Pfeffer acknowledges that such tactics as strategically deploying anger, interrupting others, and facing conflict head-on may appear distasteful for gentler souls, a world of potential riches awaits those with the boldness to carry out these actions.

If you're not quite ready to employ overtly aggressive behaviors, Pfeffer offers a wealth of other tools that can build or enhance your standing in an organization. These include asking for help (whoever grants you help has their power reinforced and, consequently, will win your loyalty), having empathy for others (putting yourself in their shoes can disarm their opposition to you), and volunteering to take on mundane tasks that others avoid (performing such tasks with excellence can bring you positive recognition in surprising ways).

While being instructive and eye-opening, Power's contents can also be sobering. Despite extolling the financial and health benefits of possessing power, Pfeffer devotes an entire chapter to addressing the downside of power in terms of lifestyle sacrifices, addictive qualities (withdrawing from power or having it usurped can challenge you on the most visceral level), and the draining cost of vigilantly protecting your power on a daily basis.

Even more sobering was how the book caused me to examine my own relationship with power. In gaining exposure to Pfeffer's ideas, I found myself contemplating instances where I've given my power away, or have shied away from power for fear of sparking confrontations. Admitting to a long-held belief that power wasn't my birthright has, perhaps, been the most painful revelation to wrestle with.

If Power causes me a problem, it's that it makes it more difficult to accept that power is the exclusive currency of others who are more capable, stronger, and gifted. With Pfeffer asserting that each of us is responsible for obtaining and maintaining our power, we're robbed of the luxury of blaming others for our lack of power. However, I'm intending to turn this theft into a blessing by trying many of his suggestions. Although taking such actions seems daunting, the prospect for moving my life forward in unprecedented ways is too appealing to ignore.