![[PHOTO] Light streaming through a key hole illuminating an old iron key.](../images/ph_findings.jpg)
Leaders who desire to Take Charge From the Start and practice Leadership for Results are found at the top and bottom of the organization and just about every place in between. Exploiting their leadership capacities to the fullest is the best way to benefit both themselves and the organization.
People who are newly promoted into leadership positions are excited about the opportunity to succeed, but sometimes nervous about dealing with organizational "politics." There's no denying that leadership is a more demanding job these days, full of minefields. Political skills are essential for everyone desiring to make or influence decisions, but people don't have to sell their souls to master them.
Politics is a necessary part of the organization, a common way of resolving conflicts for limited resources. Success today does not stop with a new promotion. It depends on understanding and navigating the organization. It is about the discipline of creating, energizing and sustaining integrated networks of people over whom you have no formal authority.
The Organization Development and Change Management Consultants of Moravec and Associates compiled a list of commonly mentioned behaviors of politically savvy leaders:
Preparation for a leadership role enables people to take risks in managing themselves and influencing others. A politically savvy leader is able to drive innovations that showcase success.