Most leadership advice says the same thing: to be a good leader, you need to be generous, humble, and authentic.
My guest, professor of organizational behavior Jeffrey Pfeffer, would say that kind of advice may make us feel good and represent the world as we'd like it to be, but it doesn't actually work in the world as it really is. What the research shows does work is what he lays out in his book: 7 Rules of Power: Surprising-—But True—Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career.
People often have negative associations with power, but Jeffrey would argue that power, and many of the techniques involved in getting it, are morally neutral, and can be used for ill or for good. So if you have a worthy aim and want to grow your influence and move up in your job, you have to get comfortable going after something that may make you uncomfortable. Jeffrey shares how to do that as we take a quick and dirty dive into the real rules of power.
Resources Related to the Episode#665: How Childhood Shapes Adulthood
#664: The Masters of the Art of War
#448: Your Son Isn’t Lazy — How to Empower Boys to Succeed [RE-BROADCAST]
#663: How to Achieve Physical Autonomy
#662: The Art and Science of Creating Good Luck
#661: Get Better Sleep by Stressing About It Less
#660: How Ancient Greek Tragedies Can Heal the Soul
#659: Do You Want to Be Rich or Wealthy? (And Why the Difference Matters)
#658: In Praise of Maintenance in a World Obsessed With Innovation
#657: Why You Don't Change (But How You Still Can)
#656: The Hidden Pleasures of Learning for Its Own Sake
#655: Simple, Excuse-Busting Advice for Getting in Shape
#654: How to Astronaut
#653: The Dirtbag's Guide to Life
#652: Chefs' Secrets for Organizing Your Life
#651: How to Turn Fear Into Fuel
#650: Why People Are Building Bunkers for the Apocalypse
#649: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Outsourced Expertise
#648: Lessons in Building Rapport from Experts in Terrorist Interrogation
#647: What Happened When Two Friends Left Their Jobs to Build a Cabin Together
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Hidden Brain