Politics

Politics arise when there is a zero sum game or resource scarcity.

Participating in the zero sum game is part of the job as a leader. Politics is an opportunity to build coalitions, build consensus, review ideas, share proposals, resolve conflict, prioritize, in order to utilize a scarce resource to achieve your (or your groups) goals.

If you’re one of the people that use “politics” as a dirty word, maybe this rationale can change your perspective.

Politics are a good thing.

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Using government as a analogy, consider what type of governmental structure you’re operating within when dealing with politics. Are you dealing with a top-down, autocratic government structure? Or are you dealing with a bottom-up, democrated government structure? Having a sense of what government structure you’re dealing with will help you build consensus and prioritize more effectively.

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