Page 60 - Roy W. Rice - CEO Material How to Be a Leader in Any Organization-McGraw-Hill (2009)

You Never Have To Rely on Your Technical Brilliance • 41

Despite those horror stories, you still have to get things done
through people. You have to trust, have faith, delegate, and empower
others. Let them take the reins, but do not allow them to cause you to do
your job poorly (like the ones in prison did).

Deal with the Business Bully and Office Politics

First of all, if you have a group of more than one, you will have “politics.”
Office politics is just human relationships, but with money attached to
them—the same human relationships you have among your friends and
family. Do not be bothered by the reality of the interdependence and
interconnection of organization dynamics. The thing that gives meaning
to your work life is the interacting with people and enriching your life
because of it.
There are office politics in the astronaut program, on the rodeo cir-
cuit, in the priesthood, on charity boards, among nurses at your hospital,
at the motor vehicle department, among mail carriers, among mountain
men, and among garbage collectors (to name a few).

You can take a positive approach and figure out what the person
wants and help them get it or the negative approach, where you dis-
regard the person and tear down their approach.

In any group of people, there is at least one who becomes a bully,
which is different from normal politics. You can spot the person who

■ Lacks confidence, is insecure, and overcompensates by being a
bully.
■ Is arrogant, stemming from an out-of-control ego, and therefore
becomes a bully.
■ Has learned no other way to manage and deal with others than
to be a bully.

First, do not fall into any of these categories—or you’ve missed the
point of this book. Second, do not let a bully’s behavior hinder you doing
your work. Third, do not let a bully’s behavior hinder the work of your