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June 13, 2024 • 1hr 22min
The paths to power: How to grow your influence and advance your career | Jeffrey Pfeffer (author of 7 Rules of Power, professor at Stanford GSB)
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
Jeffrey Pfeffer is a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford's Graduate School of Business and teaches one of the most popular and oversubscribed courses called "The Paths to Power." In his recent book "The Seven Rules of Power," Jeffrey teaches strategies for building power to get things done and advance your career.
In this conversation with Lenny Rachitsky, Jeffrey discusses why power skills are important but often make people uncomfortable, how to build power through tactics like personal branding and networking, examples of power in action, and the tradeoffs that come with having power. He argues that good people need to learn power skills to have more positive impact in the world.
The paths to power: How to grow your influence and advance your career | Jeffrey Pfeffer (author of 7 Rules of Power, professor at Stanford GSB)
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Key Takeaways
- The seven rules of power according to Jeffrey Pfeffer:
- Get out of your own way
- Break the rules
- Appear powerful
- Build a powerful brand
- Network relentlessly
- Use your power
- Success excuses almost everything
- Power skills lead to positive outcomes like higher salaries, promotions, career happiness, and less stress. However, many people feel uncomfortable with power tactics because they don't align with how we think the world "should" work.
- Underrepresented groups especially need power skills to overcome systemic disadvantages and succeed.
- Building a personal brand is crucial for career advancement. You need to differentiate yourself and be known to get opportunities.
- Networking should be approached with generosity - focus on how you can help others. The more people you know, the more opportunities you'll have.
- Appearing powerful through body language, voice, and presence has a big subconscious impact on how others perceive you.
- Using power begets more power. The more you accomplish, the more resources and opportunities you'll be given.
- There are tradeoffs to power - you gain influence but lose autonomy and privacy. Consider if that's worth it for your goals and values.
- Good people need power to make positive change. Learning power skills can help you have more impact for good causes.
Introduction
Jeffrey Pfeffer is a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford's Graduate School of Business and teaches one of the most popular and oversubscribed courses called "The Paths to Power." In his recent book "The Seven Rules of Power," Jeffrey teaches strategies for building power to get things done and advance your career.
In this conversation with Lenny Rachitsky, Jeffrey discusses why power skills are important but often make people uncomfortable, how to build power through tactics like personal branding and networking, examples of power in action, and the tradeoffs that come with having power. He argues that good people need to learn power skills to have more positive impact in the world.
Topics Discussed
Why Power Skills Make People Uncomfortable (2:54)
Jeffrey explains that power skills make many people uncomfortable because:
- The realities of acquiring power often don't align with how we think the world "should" work or how we were raised to behave
- We see examples of powerful people using power for bad purposes
- There's a tendency to confuse the tool (power) with how it's been used
However, he argues power skills are crucial, especially for underrepresented groups who face systemic disadvantages. As he states: "These are folks who will not succeed unless they learn power skills because the world is stacked against them in lots of ways."
The Popularity and Challenges of Jeffrey's Stanford Class (7:51)
Jeffrey discusses how his "Paths to Power" class at Stanford is extremely popular with a long waitlist. However, some students are very uncomfortable with the material. He tries to make it clear the class isn't for everyone - you need to be open to learning the concepts to benefit.
He emphasizes the importance of suspending judgment, both of others and yourself. As he notes: "If I decide that Lenny is whatever set of bad adjectives you want to use...my ability to build a positive relationship with you...becomes almost zero."
Building a Personal Brand (15:43)
Jeffrey explains why building a personal brand is crucial for career advancement:
- There are fewer positions at the top, so you need to differentiate yourself
- No one will promote you if they don't know who you are
- You need to do something to stand out and be known
He gives examples like Keith Ferrazzi starting an award at Deloitte to boost the company's brand recognition, which led to him becoming CMO. Or Tristan Walker proactively signing partnerships to get noticed by Foursquare's founder.
Jeffrey advises thinking strategically about how you present yourself, like his student Laura Chau who leveraged her unique height and style as an Asian woman in venture capital. The key is having both substance and visibility.
Getting Out of Your Own Way (21:11)
The first rule of power is to get out of your own way. Jeffrey explains this means:
- Overcoming discomfort with power tactics
- Not suffering from imposter syndrome
- Avoiding preemptive apologies
- Recognizing you likely deserve your position
He notes: "If you got the job you're in, you probably are not only qualified, you're probably overqualified. So don't use descriptors of yourself that disempower you."
Breaking Rules to Gain Power (26:04)
Jeffrey explains that breaking rules can help you gain power by:
- Making you stand out and be memorable
- Disrupting existing power structures that favor incumbents
- Allowing you to do things differently in a way that plays to your strengths
He gives the example of Jason Calacanis breaking conventional venture capital wisdom to build power and wealth in the industry.
Networking Relentlessly (30:34)
On effective networking, Jeffrey advises:
- Approach it with generosity - focus on how you can help others
- Connect people who can benefit from knowing each other
- The more people you know, the more opportunities you'll have
- Pursue "weak ties" outside your immediate circle for non-redundant information and connections
He shares the story of Omid Kordestani networking his way to becoming employee #11 at Google by being known as the best technically-oriented business person in Silicon Valley.
Using Power to Build More Power (42:00)
Jeffrey explains that using power begets more power:
- The more you accomplish, the more resources and opportunities you'll be given
- People want to associate with success
- Showing you have power makes others perceive you as more powerful
He notes: "To the extent that you become successful, more people will want to work with you. To the extent that you get more stuff done, you'll get more promotions, more opportunities."
The Importance of Appearance and Body Language (44:34)
Jeffrey discusses how appearing powerful through body language, voice, and presence has a big subconscious impact:
- We respond more to how people look and sound than the content of what they say
- Taller and more attractive people tend to earn more money
- Skills like commanding a room can be learned and mastered
He gives the example of Steve Jobs being coached to become a masterful presenter and salesperson.
Examples of Homework Assignments (55:12)
Jeffrey shares some homework assignments he gives students to practice power skills:
- Set specific goals for what you want to accomplish
- Get rated on power attributes and create a development plan
- Create resources/leverage at Stanford (e.g. start an award)
- Practice networking by meeting 10 key people
- Film yourself appearing more powerful and get feedback
- Write and refine your personal brand statement
The Price of Power and Autonomy (1:10:49)
Jeffrey discusses the tradeoffs that come with power:
- You gain influence but lose autonomy over your time and decisions
- You face much more scrutiny and loss of privacy
- It can negatively impact your family and relationships
- You may struggle to know if people like you for you or your position
He notes he has chosen autonomy over power in his own career, stating: "I want control of my time. It is much more important to me [than power]."
More Good People Need Power (1:03:58)
Jeffrey argues that good people need to learn power skills to have more positive impact. He shares the story of Dr. Laura Esserman, who initially resisted power tactics but learned to use them to drive major improvements in cancer research and treatment.
As he states: "If you want power to be used for good, more good people need to have power."
Conclusion
Jeffrey Pfeffer makes a compelling case for why understanding and cultivating power is crucial for career success and having positive impact, even if the tactics feel uncomfortable. He provides practical strategies for building power through personal branding, networking, body language, and other learnable skills.
At the same time, he acknowledges the very real tradeoffs and downsides that come with power. His advice to get coaching and social support to practice these skills in small steps is a good way for listeners to start applying the concepts.
Ultimately, Jeffrey argues that good people need power to drive positive change. Learning these skills can help well-intentioned people have more influence and impact for causes they believe in. But each individual needs to weigh if the tradeoffs are worth it for their own goals and values.
