Episode 144: Jeff Pfeffer

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Why Good People Need to Understand the Rules of Power

Why are so many organizations run by ineffective or toxic leaders? Because it isn't the best leaders that succeed. Its the ones that best understand how to gain power and use power. According to Jeff Pfeffer, the leadership industry has led many prospective leaders astray, providing them with a normative framework that fails to provide an accurate account of how organizations work. 

Jeff Pfeffer is the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University where he has taught since 1979. He is also the author or co-author of 15 books, the most recent of which is “The 7 Rules of Power’

In this episode, we’ll hear Greg & Jeff discuss values based leadership, Jeff’s course “Paths to Power,” the nature of reciprocity in the workplace and self help books.

Episode Quotes:

Values based leadership

“At Stanford we talk about values based leadership and on the surface you would say, who could be opposed to values-based leadership? That you ought to lead with values, you want to lead with integrity, authenticity all of these things. But I think we have failed to ask the question: if you're going to have values-based leadership, the next thing you need to ask is how are you going to get the power and influence to actually implement those values?”

The complexities of work friends

“If you and I are friends and we work in different organizations and probably even in different industries, there is a pure friendship relationship. But as soon as we work for the same place, because organizations are hierarchical, we are both competing. So it's a very mixed motive situation.”

The calculated mindset of workplace thinking

“It makes complete sense that in interpersonal relationships, the norm of reciprocity is quite strong. But when you get into an organization, you adopt what we call a more “calculative mindset.” In which we're thinking not just, you know did Gregory do something for me, so I need to repay it? But is Gregory going to be part of my life in the future?

What is Gregory going to be able to do for me in the future? And if he is not going to be in a position of power, or maybe he's not even going to be in the organization in the future, then as I calculate whether or not I need to repay and what I need to do for him, its much more calculative and less this automatic, normative basis.”

Show Links:

Recommended Resources:

• Herminia Ibarra on TEDxLondonBusinessSchool talking about: What does it really mean for leaders to be authentic?

• The Authenticity Paradox by Herminia Ibarra

• Unless You’re Oprah, ‘Be Yourself’ Is Terrible Advice by Adam Grant

• How David Beat’s Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

Guest Profile:

• Faculty Profile at Stanford Graduate School of Business

• Speaker’s Profile at Stern Speakers & Advisors

• Jeff Pfeffer’s Website

• Jeff Pfeffer on LinkedIn

• Jeff Pfeffer on Twitter

His Work:

• Jeff Pfeffer on Google Scholar

• 7 Rules of Power: Surprising--but True--Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career

• Dying for a Paycheck: How Modern Management Harms Employee Health and Company Performance―and What We Can Do About It

• Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time

• People are the Name of the Game: How to be More Successful in Your Career--and Life

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

• What Were They Thinking?: Unconventional Wisdom About Management

• Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths And Total Nonsense: Profiting From Evidence-Based Management