"I don't play politics."
You’ve heard someone say it. Maybe you’ve said it yourself. It sounds principled. Clean. Focused on the work.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
If you're not playing politics as a leader, someone else is. And your team will pay for it.
Politics Is Just Influence With Consequences
For most developers, “office politics” conjures up images of manipulation, credit-stealing, and ladder-climbing. So we avoid it. We write it off as dirty or beneath us.
But influence happens whether you engage in it or not. Budgets get set. Priorities shift. Credit is assigned. And someone is in the room shaping that story.
If it’s not you, it’s probably someone less qualified to represent your team’s work.
That’s the real cost of abstaining.
Politics Isn’t Evil. But It Is Powerful.
Think of office politics like a lightsaber.
Wielded with purpose, it can cut through red tape, shield your team from misalignment, and create space for them to grow.
Used recklessly? It becomes a weapon for hoarding power, blocking progress, and leaving trust in ruins.
The tool isn’t bad. But it amplifies intent.
If you won’t wield it, don’t be surprised when someone else does, and points it at your priorities.
What You’re Actually Avoiding
When leaders say they avoid politics, they’re often avoiding discomfort:
- The awkward pre-meeting alignment chat
- The soft negotiation for headcount or budget
- The risk of being misunderstood, or ignored, when advocating for the team
But avoidance has a cost too:
- Projects get deprioritized without explanation
- High performers are overlooked
- Invisible work stays invisible
Inaction is still a political decision. You’re just choosing not to fight for your team.
Politics ≠ Manipulation
We’re not talking about the corrosive version of politics.
This isn’t about gossip, games, or power hoarding.
We’re talking about the ethical, intentional kind:
- Translating your team’s work to non-technical stakeholders
- Building alliances before you need them
- Defending against unrealistic timelines
- Advocating for people when they’re not in the room
Think of it like DevOps for your team’s reputation:
You automate clarity, reduce failure conditions, and build observability into how your team is seen.
The Cost of Staying “Above It”
I once saw a technically brilliant engineer passed over for promotion. They never showed early drafts of their work, avoided social channels, and thought delivering clean code was enough.
But when the time came, leadership didn’t have a clear story of their impact. They had no mental model of what this person did, only vague respect from a distance.
Another dev, less technically strong but more visible, got the nod. Not because it was a popularity contest, but because influence and trust are built through proximity, context, and repetition.
Merit still matters. But merit + visibility = momentum.
And momentum is how people, and teams, move forward.
How to Use Politics Without Losing Your Integrity
Here’s what ethical political engagement looks like:
- Make allies early: Share credit, support others, build real trust before you need leverage.
- Show your team’s impact: Don’t assume good work speaks for itself. It doesn’t. Speak for it.
- Push back publicly when needed: Challenge scope creep or timeline risks where others can see it. That’s how your team knows you’ve got their back.
- Map influence, not just org charts: Who actually sets direction? Who shapes decisions early? Loop yourself in before the priorities are finalized.
- Make others look good: Influence grows when others succeed because of you.
Politics in a Remote World
Hybrid and remote work didn’t kill politics. It just changed where it lives.
Influence now flows through Slack threads, meeting invites, visibility in async updates. Leaders have to be intentional:
- Boost your team’s wins in public channel
- Make space for remote voice
- Don’t let proximity bias erase contributions
A hallway conversation is now a comment thread. Use it.
Measuring Political Impact (Quietly)
You’re playing the game well if:
- Your team consistently gets the resources they need
- Their work is recognized by people outside the team
- You’re looped into decisions before they’re finalized
- Your people feel protected from random chaos
It’s not about fame. It’s about agency.
Closing Thought
Office politics will exist whether you participate or not. Choosing not to engage might feel clean, but your team doesn’t get credit, protection, or influence from your personal discomfort.
You don’t have to play dirty.
But you do have to play.
Because when the layoffs come, or the budget shrinks, or the roadmap shifts, your team won’t care how principled you were.
They’ll care whether you fought for them.
🗣️ Curious how this plays out in your world:
When’s the last time not playing politics cost your team something? Or, have you found a way to engage without feeling like you’re selling out? Let’s talk.
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