How can you change office politics?

I worked 15 years in management functions of a telecom operator and now 5 months in a consultancy firm with a partner structure. You maybe think that there are a lot of differences, but I can assure you that that there are many similarities.

In both organizations you see the effects of a huge company. Middle management is very important to make the real vision and to coordinate activities. Middle managers are the leaders of the company and they have to collaborate with others to realize the goals. These middle managers have a lot of interaction with employees and top managers. The personal leadership skills are very important for these managers to keep the long-term vision in mind by making important decisions. The system of both organizations has a tremendous power of all individuals.

Last year I was been aware of this power in the simulation bases on a research by Barry Oshry called the Total System Power. Each individual, regardless if they were in the role of bottom, middle manager or top manager you can’t hardly break out of the system as an individual. In both organizations I see the tough call to change the system. Personal leadership is necessary to succeed.