16.6. Summary
Politics are a natural consequence of human nature. When people work together in groups, there is a limited amount of authority, which must be distributed across different people with different desires and motivations.
All leaders have political constraints. Every executive, CEO, or president has peers or superiors who limit their ability to make decisions. In general, the more power a person has, the more complex the constraints are that they must work within.
There are many different kinds of political power, including rewards, coercion, knowledge, referent, and influence.
Power is misused when it's applied in ways that do not serve the project goals. A lack of clarity around goals, unclear resource allocation or decision-making processes, or misunderstandings can contribute to the misuse of power.
To solve political problems, clarify what you need. Identify who has it, and then assess how you might be able to get it.
If you are involved in project management, you are defining a political playing field around you. It's up to you to decide how insane or fair it is.
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