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The Seven Rules of Power

Jeffrey Pfeffer
Professor of Organizational Behavior, Stanford GSB
2025
Why This Matters

Power Leads to Everything

POWERSalaryPromotionHappinessLess Stress
"Political skill is associated with salary, getting promoted, being happy in your career, being happy in your job, being less stressed."
  • Power is not dirty, it's a neutral tool
  • The problem isn't power; it's how power has been used
  • Those with disadvantages need power skills most
  • Power is learnable; it's not about personality
Framework

The Seven Rules of Power

1. GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY2. BREAK THE RULES3. APPEAR POWERFUL4. BUILD A POWERFUL BRAND5. NETWORK RELENTLESSLY6. USE YOUR POWER
Rule 7Success excuses almost everything
  • These are skills, not personality traits
  • Everyone can learn and master them
  • Each rule builds on the previous one
  • Power multiplies when you use it, it's self-perpetuating
  • Do your "Doing Power" project: apply one rule in practice this quarter
The core truthThese realities of power bear little resemblance to Sunday school teachings, but they bear a lot of resemblance to how the world actually works.
Build Your Brand

Become Known & Differentiated

  • The math: Fewer positions at top → you must get promoted → nobody promotes people they don't know
  • The execution: Do something that creates value and causes people to recognize who you are
  • The examples: Keith Ferrazzi created the Lincoln Quality Award at Deloitte; Tristan Walker signed up partnerships Foursquare didn't know about until the founder noticed
  • The tools: Writing, podcasting, contributing to books, hosting dinners, building unique style
Laura Chau case

VC at smaller firm (Canaan Partners) who needed visibility in consumer space. Solution: writing, podcast, book contributions, networking dinners, unique style (tall, heels). Result: made partner in 4 years.

Derek Kan case

His "Doing Power" assignment in class: get appointed head of economic policy for Romney 2012. He did. Then turned it down, but landed as #3 in Transportation, then OMB deputy director. Six years after business school.

Appearance & Power

How You Show Up Matters

  • We respond mostly to how people look, secondarily to how they sound, least to what they say
  • Tall people earn more; attractive people earn more (at optimal level)
  • Body language, vocal tone, and presentation are learnable skills
  • Tony Hayward (BP) vs. Lloyd Blankfein (Goldman): who survives the scandal? Watch 60 seconds of silent video, you'll know from their presence
  • Robert de Niro wasn't born knowing how to act. You're not born knowing how to command a room
The core skillMaster your body language. People decide about you in the first moments, mostly from visual cues. Practice this like an actor practices a role.
Network & Center

Become a Broker of Relationships

✗Network events are the best way to build your networkINSTEAD →✓ One-on-one meetings, dinners, and targeted outreach (share articles, make introductions) work far better
✗Build your network with people just like youINSTEAD →✓ Weak ties with different people give you non-redundant information and better job opportunities (The Strength of Weak Ties)
✗Network for yourself, get what you can getINSTEAD →✓ Connect others who benefit from knowing each other. You get power AND credit for being a connector
✗The more power you use, the less you have leftINSTEAD →✓ Using power creates more power. Success attracts more resources and more people who want to work with you
Based on Jeffrey Pfeffer's episode on Lenny's Podcast. All ideas on this page are from the episode.Watch on YouTubeFollow @JeffreyPfeffer on X
GO DEEPER IN THE EPISODE
02:54 Understanding discomfort with power04:56 Power skills for underrepresented groups07:51 The popularity and challenges of Jeffrey’s class at Stanford12:21 The seven rules of power13:03 Success stories from his course15:43 Building a personal brand21:11 Getting out of your own way26:04 Breaking the rules to gain power30:34 Networking relentlessly40:10 Why Jeffrey says to “pursue weak ties”42:00 Using your power to build more power44:34 The importance of appearance and body language47:15 Mastering the art of presentation55:12 Examples of homework assignments that Jeffrey gives students59:11 People will forget how you acquired power01:03:58 More good people need to have power01:10:49 The price of power and autonomy01:17:13 A homework assignment for you
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