One of the skills that successful leaders need to master is a bit of a dirty word these days. It’s not the sort of thing they offer leadership training courses on, but it lies at the heart of most business relationships. What I’m talking about is office politics.

When we call someone ‘a political animal’, we’re often not being complimentary. We tend to mean that they’re manipulative and untrustworthy, maybe even immoral or dishonest.

A person who’s good at politics, in our eyes, is someone who likes to score points over others, who tries to scramble to the top of the heap over his or her colleagues.

But politics isn’t all about manipulation. There’s more to it than that. And whether we like it or not, politics is everywhere in the workplace and a good leader needs to know how to make the most of it.

So what does politics have to do with good leadership? Well, to start with, politics involves being aware of the effects your words and actions have on others. And – even more importantly – it also means knowing how to influence people.

In an earlier article, we touched on leading change as a political process, but let’s focus for a moment on your interpersonal political skills in leading change negotiating, persuading, influencing. These leadership skills are essential for success and survival.

In a way, introducing change into an organization is like running a political campaign. If you get it right, your people will support you and your decisions.

How to get your people to accept change:

1. First, set up your campaign team. This isn’t just your fellow leaders, who’ve helped you draw up the plan behind the scenes, it’s also the movers and shakers in your organization. You need to identify them carefully and well. These are the people who can influence OTHER people. Perhaps the people that you can’t reach. If the movers and shakers know about and support what you’re doing, the job will be that much easier.

2. Now prepare yourself. You and your fellow leaders have been working on the plan for a long time. You know how much work has gone into it, and you know how vital it is for your business. Now is the time to get everyone else on board. But be prepared: not everyone’s going to like it.

3. Let the debate go on. Listen to what everyone says: be careful not to spend all your time with people who agree with you. Your fiercest opponents are valuable people: they help you gauge the level of resistance, they set out the arguments you need to defeat, and, if they eventually come round to your way of thinking, they will be some of your most valuable supporters.

The politics of business:

1. Find allies in ALL parts of the organization: you can exchange vital information that you might otherwise not have access to. And you can form coalitions, so together you can influence current and future developments.

2. Intervene in the political processes of the organization: share agendas, influence decisions and decision-makers.

3. Make sure you’re not simply surrounded by ‘yes’ men and women. You need to listen to the devil’s advocates – that way, you’re less likely to make mistakes.

There’s more, of course, there’s more. But deal with office politics on a project by project basis and you won’t go too far wrong. Leadership is sometimes described as a contact sport. It isn’t so much what you know as who you know.

So let me ask you this: who do YOU know?

Being a new manager In the UK at least, people tend to be promoted on the basis of technical knowledge rather than management skill.

Quite often you hear from ex soccer players who have gone from playing to managing say that it is a big change going from “one of the lads” to telling someone they aren’t in the team for the cup final.

So how can a new manager get started with a management career without alienating previous colleagues and friends?

1. Remember the relationship has changed forever and there is no going back. People will look to YOU to bail them out of problems.

2. Don’t go mad celebrating. Some colleagues may have failed miserably at the interview or even worse, may not have been given an interview.

3. Think about how you talk to these people and how they reply. Depending on the nature of your workplace, shouting over the office may no longer be acceptable. You might have a desk or even move offices completely. Never under estimate the power a desk or office move!

4.Think about how and where you socialise with people who still do your old job. Getting drunk every Saturday night is probably not all that clever if you want respect on Monday morning (but that depends on the jo you do…)

5. Try to sport when they are testing you. Like it or not, people you used to sit alongside will try to test you out. Will you let everyone go home early the day before the holidays start? Who will cover the office if you do?

6. Work out a plan to deal with being “tested”. Your new staff will “test” you – work out (even subconsciously) how far they can push you. You must work out how to cope with this or they will take control from day 1. You could pick several issues which you will not move on. These could include, office cover after 5pm or maximum number of tea breaks. Don’t tell anyone what these are though and they won’t work you out as quick.

7. Make sure your subject matter knowledge is up to date. “If you don’t know something, know where to look” You will get tested on this also.

8. Praise in public, criticise in private. This is basic and you will need to be on your guard not to be drawn into a public debate or discussion on a controversial subject or one you are not confident discussing.

9. Don’t take everything on yourself This is easier said that done (especially if the ). Pause a while- (if the vacancy HAS been there some time, another couple of days won’t make much difference. If you work out what needs to be done BEFORE jumping in, YOU are likely to remain sane and healthy rather than buckling under the pressure with a few weeks.

Being a new manager is exciting, daunting but very rewarding. To summarise,the key thing is managing the changing relationship between yourself and your former colleagues.