Corporate politics can be used for good | From Dorms to Desks Podcast | ep71

The From Dorms to Desks Podcast tackles the concept of corporate politics, reframing it from a necessary evil into a tool for ethical leadership and influence, calling this approach “The Trust Playbook.” Corporate politics is unavoidable because whenever people collaborate and resources like budgets, headcount, time, and leader attention are limited, influence is required. 

The central question is not whether politics exists, but how one chooses to use it. Early-career professionals are taught skills in college and law school, but often miss the hidden rulebook of organizations. The simple rulebook—do good work, be reliable, help the company, and get promoted—is incomplete because people, being human, decide things based on facts, risk, relationships, fears, hopes, pride, and insecurities, which together form the human layer on top of the work. This layer is corporate politics, which is often used as a weapon through behaviors like hoarding credit, undermining peers, trading favors like poker chips, or delaying tactics.

The episode draws heavily on the example of Marvin Granath, the Senior Vice President for Human Resources Legal at Fortune 50 company Honeywell in 1990 and 1991, who reported to the Chief Executive Officer. Although his position was high enough to be intimidating, Marv was different; he made people want to tell him the truth because he used the information to help, not to punish. Marv did not engage in the typical political games but was extremely effective because he used influence in the opposite direction. Instead of asking how he could win, Marv would walk into meetings asking, “What can I do to help these people succeed?” He genuinely wanted to know what problems were blocking others so he could help remove them. He built influence through the long game of trust by consistently making other people stronger without expecting quid pro quo, understanding that trust creates reciprocity—humans are wired to support those who consistently support them.

The Trust Playbook outlines how early-career professionals can adopt this mindset. A key step is shifting the default agenda-driven mindset by adding the question, “What does everyone else in this room need to win?” Being helpful means offering specific support—expertise, a connection, or public endorsement—which is a rare currency. Building allies requires sharing credit for work done, using “we” instead of “I,” to build a reputation that prevents people from stealing the spotlight. Influence also comes from listening for others’ priorities, pressures, and fears, which is described as empathy with a purpose, allowing one to frame ideas in a way that fits others’ goals. 

Crucially, the best political players reduce fear; Marv understood that influence is about lowering risk and making decisions feel safe. Furthermore, effective politics happens before big meetings, in the hallway, or in follow-up communication, ensuring critical players are on board before formal presentation. While toxic politics used as a weapon is still out there, building influence through trust makes one resilient, as people who are trusted and bring clarity are hard to take down. The best version of politics looks a lot like leadership, focusing on building trust and creating shared wins. The final takeaway is to consistently help others succeed without keeping a scorecard, allowing corporate politics to become a constructive tool rather than a swamp.