Political Savvy is a Leadership Skill

"Imagine for a minute, a workplace where everyone is aligned with business objectives; where everyone understands the value they contribute; an environment where people actively seek to build mutually beneficial relationships across the organization. In other words, a workplace of politically savvy individuals. If we define leadership as 'the process of social influence in which a person can enlist the support and aid of others in the accomplishment of a common task' as defined by the author in this Forbes article, then political savvy is most definitely a leadership skill. A fresh mindset about political savvy then replaces the self-serving and manipulative attitude that prevents talented employees from collaborating. With this new perspective, an active engagement in relationship building and a focus on understanding the most effective way to get things done becomes a positive force in the workplace."