Political Savvy by Joel R.

DeLuca – Summary
Reviewed by Michael Ayers

Come on, be honest. What really comes to your mind when you hear that someone has a lot
of ‘political savvy’? Someone sitting in a smoke-filled room making important decisions with a
handful of high-rollers? A snake-oil salesman who could sell anything based on his ability to
manipulate more gullible people? Someone to avoid because you don’t want to become
tainted? And anyway you just shouldn’t have to mess with that stuff!

Joel DeLuca offers this definition: “Political Savvy: Ethically building a critical mass of support
for an idea you care about.” Then he notes what he excludes and what he includes in his
definition. It excludes striving for power in a general way, but includes seeking influence in a
specific situation. It includes caring about an idea – an interesting combination of emotion and
intellect. He adds, “It’s hard to overstate that the starting point for the savvy [people] is caring
about something bigger than themselves.”

The book carries the subtitle, “Systematic Approaches to Leadership Behind-the Scenes.”
I suppose that I always knew that effective leaders had some amount of political savvy. They
seemed to know who to talk to, and how and when to talk to them. DeLuca believes you can
gain in political savvy in a systematic way. He is clear about the role of results when he writes,
“Leadership in the near term is making things happen. In the long term, leadership is
developing people. The ultimate responsibility of a leader is not just to make things happen
today but to increase the organization’s capacity to make things happen tomorrow. The best
leaders accomplish this by developing others to become leaders.” The role of the leader
includes attention to the sustainability of the organization and the development of the next
generation.

For an organization to survive, it must take care of business. Helping develop others includes
increasing their understanding of how organizations actually do take care of business. DeLuca
offers this definition: “Organization Politics: How power and interest play out in the
organization.” Thus, politics is not inherently negative or positive, it just is.

He also highlights two common blocks people encounter:

1. The Moral Block – carries an implication that ‘organizational politics’
equates to ‘manipulation’ and thus creates an ethical barrier.
2. The Rational Block – says that we should not need to descend to such means – the idea’s
obvious strengths should be enough.

DeLuca counters that the Politically Savvy person accepts that organizational politics is just
another fact of life.

Now here we have two provocative ideas: organizational politics is not a sort of necessary evil
to tolerate; and you can be politically savvy and ethical at the same time. Well, that makes an
interesting theory, but how might those of us who are ‘savvy-impaired’ make that systematic
progress? DeLuca offers several ideas which he sets out in the form of a mini-case study. An

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important decision-making meeting is pending. You know certain things about the people
involved, their connections with one another, their priorities and potentially show-stopping
concerns.

So what strategy does he offer to get the decision to go your way? He offers a scheme to
visually map out who is leaning how strongly and in which direction, and who holds sway over
whom. Making this information explicit allows you to construct a strategy to ensure that not
only do you take the right steps, but you take them in the most productive sequence. He
stresses ‘agenda linking’ (showing how the ends you want support the ends that someone else
wants) and following the path of relationships (where people talk to people who trust them).
The goal, after all, is to create a base of support. “An ethical alliance – which is the opposite of
a manipulative conspiracy – has several benefits: convergent validity, task legitimacy, enhanced
ethicalness, and maneuverability.” We want it to be clear that we are acting in the best
interests of the organization as we see them and not fomenting a mutiny.

Do I feel more savvy now, having read his book (and even attended a one-day seminar)? Well,
yes, a little bit. I certainly have new things to consider as I try to move the organizations with
which I’m involved. Most of all, I know that my preferred political style needs work. I need to
develop a more active approach with a more positive attitude toward politics. (I almost wrote
‘mere politics’ – I’m learning!)

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 Political Savvy – Styles & Strategies
Interpretation of the Political Style Grid from “Political Savvy” by Joel DeLuca

POLITICAL STYLE WHAT THIS STYLE MEANS QUOTES FROM OR ABOUT INDIVIDUALS WITH THIS STYLE

LEADER • Believe strongly that progress depends • “I believe most people desire to make a
on aligning the personal interests of difference. Sure we have the overly ambitious
individuals with each other and with the types, but who doesn’t? My job is to see that
interests of the organization their drive is channeled for the good of the
organization.”
• View people as basically good and
wanting to contribute to the success of • “Ed is not charismatic and he keeps a low
the organization profile. All he does is get things done. I don’t
know how he did it, but he’s made more
• Create innovative ways to combine and
productive change around here than the last
satisfy apparent opposed interests and
two flashy CEOs put together.”
make things happen that wouldn’t
normally occur
RESPONSIBLE • Active, but often reluctantly, in the • “I dislike politics as much as the next guy and
political arena prefer to stay out of it, but I’m not going to let
good ideas get lost because of some overly
• Savvy about the various political
ambitious person.”
maneuvers occurring and how to deal
with them • “All it takes for evil to conquer is for good men
to stand by and do nothing.”
• Feel an obligation to ensure that the
interests of the organization are
paramount in key decisions
MACHIAVELLIAN • Assume that organizational life is a win- • “It’s a dog-eat-dog world. There is a bunch of
lose proposition ambition and we know the pyramid narrows
at the top. Someone has to win, it might as
• Often feared within the organization
well be me.”
• Shift away from the interests of the
• “Why should I help Jerry? He’s likely to get
organization and concentrate on
the credit and move up faster than me.”
advancing own personal goals
ADVISOR • Stay off center stage and prefer to • “I want this place to be successful, and if I can
counsel others help those people trying to make it work, I
will.”
• Assume politics is not inherently
negative, but rather try to find the win- • “We have a lot of talented young managers
win alternative for the key players and who don’t know the first thing about how to
the organization make change really happen around here. I
want to help them get their innovations
• Guide others through the political mazes,
brought into the system.”
but have potential to avoid taking
responsibility for actions or for decisions
that shape the organization’s destiny

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SPECULATOR • Active in predicting organization politics • “There’s a lot of politics around here; that’s
what makes the place interesting. I stay out of
• Less concerned with self-protection and
it for the most part, but I do enjoy predicting
more interested in the political dynamics
who’s trying to do what to whom.”
themselves
• “I predicted the last three CEOs and started a
• Source of the organizational grapevine
rumor that likely helped one person get the
and treat organization politics as a game
job.”
show, trying to guess the answers and
predict the winners
PROTECTOR • View politics negatively, but takes an • “I’ve already been burned twice, and I’m not
active approach rather than waiting for going to let it happen again.”
the worst
• “After the ABC account fiasco, Jim began to
• Actively try to predict the political document everything. The next time
weather and defend themselves against something goes wrong, he wants to be able to
it demonstrate without a doubt that it wasn’t his
fault.”
• Read the political cues first and then go
with whichever side seems to be in
political favor
SPECTATOR • Like to watch politics at work, but don’t • “Politics in this department is fascinating. You
like to play should see what Larry is trying to do to Mary,
but I think Mary can outsmart him.”
• View the organization as a vast human
soap opera and root for their favorite • “John gathered data showing why Jane’s
characters project couldn’t work, but Jane was ready.
She showed how two competitors were
• Assume politics can be positive, but
already using the new model successfully and
generally avoids risks. Provides emotional
came out way on top.”
support and consolation to those taking a
more active role
FATALIST • Initiate little action, but does not view • “I know these kinds of things go on; you just
politics as inherently negative have to roll with the punches. There will be
other projects.”
• Assume politics is a given and not much
can affect it • “I don’t let it get to me, life’s too short, and
there’s not much you can do about it.”
• Associated with technically-oriented
managers
CYNIC • Want no part of organization politics • “To be successful, all you have to do is look
typically viewing organization politics as a good in project reviews and say what the boss
win-lose proposition and values it wants to hear.”
negatively
• “I’m tired of beating my head against the wall.
• Believe they are just being realistic It just doesn’t pay and I’ve got better things to
do.”
• Seldom go the extra mile except under
duress, and even then, tend to avoid
taking risks

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 Becoming Politically Savvy

 Understand the culture

Understand the  Identify the key players
Organization  Gauge power and influence
 Assess relationships
Understand Your Style  Assess your own political style
and Goals  Define what success looks like
Build relationships  Determine appropriate involvement level for each player
 Build across boundaries and hierarchy
 Create with those who have formal and informal
power/influence
 Base them on trust and respect
 Be friendly to all – don’t align with one
 Be part of multiple networks
Use Your Network for  Gain access to information
Positive Action  Build visibility of your achievements
 Improve difficult relationships
 Attract opportunities where you can to shine
 Seek out ways to make yourself, your team and your boss
look good
Govern Your Own  Play above-board and maintain integrity at all times
Behavior  Listen carefully before speaking
 Employ interpersonal diplomacy (don’t pass on gossip or
spread rumors)
 Rise above interpersonal conflicts (don’t get sucked into
arguments)
 Be positive and focused
 Believe strongly in your change initiative and be assertive
without being aggressive
 Assume things will get disclosed and say only what you would
want repeated
 Be a role model for your team
Anticipate and handle  Get to know them, but be careful what you say
dissenters  Understand their motivations and goals
 Learn to anticipate their negative politicking and avoid it