Question 1

What are the key takeaways from Jeffrey Pfeffer's episode on Lenny's Podcast?

Accepted Answer

1. Power is a skill that can be learned, not an innate personality trait - Steve Jobs himself had to be taught how to present and persuade before he became the iconic communicator we remember. 2. The biggest obstacle to building power is getting in your own way - believing power is dirty or suffering from imposter syndrome prevents you from doing what's necessary for career success. 3. Networking is fundamentally about generosity and connecting people - the broader your network, the more non-redundant knowledge and opportunities flow through you as a broker. 4. Substance without visibility means nobody knows what you bring - building a personal brand is not self-promotion but the necessary act of being known for your contributions. 5. Power and autonomy are fundamentally at odds - acquiring power means surrendering control of your time, privacy, and freedom to the demands of the position.

Question 2

What does Jeffrey Pfeffer say about power and career?

Accepted Answer

"Political skill is associated with a lot of positive outcomes, salary, getting promoted, being happy in your career, being happy in your job, being less stressed. So the reason why you should pay attention to this is because it leads to a lot of good things." - Jeffrey Pfeffer "I see people with hammers hitting other people on the head. That does not mean that a hammer is not a useful tool. Laura has a knife. She uses it to cure cancer. Muggers have knives. They use it to rob people. So I think we've confused the tool for how it has been used." - Jeffrey Pfeffer "If I think power is dirty, if I think power is evil, if I think power is something I want nothing to do with, the first thing that's going to happen is I'm not going to do what I need to do to be successful in my career." - Jeffrey Pfeffer

Question 3

What are Jeffrey Pfeffer's views on power, career, personal-brand?

Accepted Answer

Jeffrey Pfeffer: "Political skill is associated with a lot of positive outcomes, salary, getting promoted, being happy in your career, being happy in your job, being less stressed. So the reason why you should pay attention to this is because it leads to a lot of good things." Jeffrey Pfeffer: "I see people with hammers hitting other people on the head. That does not mean that a hammer is not a useful tool. Laura has a knife. She uses it to cure cancer. Muggers have knives. They use it to rob people. So I think we've confused the tool for how it has been used."

Jeffrey Pfeffer

The paths to power: How to grow your influence and advance your career | Jeffrey Pfeffer (Stanford)

TRANSCRIPT

Jeffrey Pfeffer

The paths to power: How to grow your influence and advance your career | Jeffrey Pfeffer (Stanford)

Jeffrey Pfeffer

The paths to power: How to grow your influence and advance your career | Jeffrey Pfeffer (Stanford)

TRANSCRIPT

Jeffrey Pfeffer

The paths to power: How to grow your influence and advance your career | Jeffrey Pfeffer (Stanford)