Power: Why Some People Have It - and Others Don't by Jeffrey Pfeffer

BATB score: 10/10 💙

This book changed my life the first time I read it in 2018. Re-reading this book today in 2021, now that I am two step higher on the corporate ladder, the lessons are even more legit and critical.

Best to: an appropriate slap-in-the-face. Stop thinking that the world is just, that your talents and contributions would be recognized and a promotion is due, that you don't have to play office politics to be noticed, that you will not corrupt your way up, that you will not lobby your colleagues and will not step on them once necessary; you want it, you slay it.

Best for: climbers of corporate ladders; to get to c-level camp you must have skill and will beyond intelligence and work your office politics game strong

Best as: it depends whether you can accept the truth of the rat race

Best quote: "The lesson from cases of people both keeping and losing their jobs is that as long as you keep your boss or bosses happy, performance really does not matter that much and, by contrast, if you upset them, performance won't save you."

"You need to get over the idea that you need to be liked by everybody and that likability is important in creating a path to power, and you need to be willing to put yourself forward. If you don't, you will?"

"Many of the people you will meet on your path to power will have less hesitation about rewarding their friends and punishing those who oppose them."

"When we tell ourselves that our problems are caused by others, we spend time on why we can't be successful. When instead we focus on what we can do, we spend time on being successful."