S1E20 - Jeffrey Pfeffer - Only Power Begets Change
We met with Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor and expert on Power, Jeffrey Pfeffer, to discuss his latest influential work, 7 Rules of Power. While many might malign an ambition to acquire and wield power, Pfeffer lays bare the pragmatic truth that change happens only with the adept identification of the levers of power, and the artful accumulation and use of power to affect the change we seek. He disabused any notion that power in and of itself is negative. Only how it is used can be criticized. As he quickly points out, “If you want power to be used for good, then more good people need to have power.” Our discussion is a brief primer of his life’s research into his treatise on the mechanics of power, and an invaluable guide for anyone hoping to affect change. Pfeffer’s pragmatic straight talk might be thought by some as astringent, but his sober understanding of how the world turns is a wakeup call for anyone who thinks it is sufficient to simply engage in “moral talk.” Because so many who are willing to use the strategies and tactics of power are not using it for good, join us to learn how to counteract the negative by becoming equally effective in your own ability to get things done and realize the desirable change we hope to see in the world.
Jeffrey Pfeffer (www.jeffreypfeffer.com) is the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Pfeffer is the author or co-author of 16 books on topics including power in organizations, managing people, evidence-based management, Dying for a Paycheck, and The Knowing-Doing Gap. He also hosts the popular podcast, Pfeffer on Power.
Pfeffer received his Ph.D. from Stanford and taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of California, Berkeley, before returning to Stanford in 1979 as a full professor.
Author of more than 150 articles and book chapters, Pfeffer has won numerous awards for his scholarly research, including an Honorary Doctorate from Tilburg University in The Netherlands.
Conversation recorded on December 23, 2022.