Leadership is not a moral pursuit". It is above all about the pragmatics of making things happen whether they be moral, immoral, or amoral.

Rule of Power is an extraordinary book that talks about, of course, Power, how to acquire it, how to use it, how to build a powerful personal brand, and more. A brilliantly written and concisely researched read with a classic approach. It was somehow an interesting read for me though I haven't read any of the author's previous works but now I want to and will be looking to read in the near future. If you're a curious thinker and want to understand the psychology behind power then this might be a perfect choice for you. Title: 7 Rules of Power: : Surprising--But True--Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career Understand that once you have acquired power, what you did to get it will be forgiven, forgotten, or both.Dr. Pfeffer received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Carnegie-Mellon University and his Ph.D. from Stanford. He began his career at the business school at the University of Illinois and then taught at the University of California, Berkeley. Pfeffer has been a visiting professor at the Harvard Business School, Singapore Management University, London Business School, Copenhagen Business School, and for the past 8 years a visitor at IESE in Barcelona.

Power is a tool. It can be used for good. It can be used for evil. Don’t confuse the fact that it is sometimes used for evil with power actually being evil. Build a powerful brand. Associating with prestigious people and organizations is one way to do this, as their status and prestige rubs off. Other methods Pfeffer recommends include podcasts, books, and events, along with ample self-promotion. “You must also craft [your] narrative in a way consistent with the hero’s journey, so that people are more likely to remember it and, more importantly, embrace its inspirational message,” he writes. (p. 105)Power is not something like a bottle of water that gets used up the more you drink it. It’s something that gets created the more effectively you use it.

Craft a narrative of yourself that matches what you want the world to perceive you as and tell your story before someone else does. Do as many things to get your name out to your industry, podcasts, books, conferences. Finally, always take credit for your work, don't be afraid of self-promotion, frame it as self-evaluation of the impact you have had to your work and team. Power is absolute, it's the necessity of each living organism, without it you're nothing and with it you're everything, on whatsoever you go you can see the necessity of it and get only a handful people have it. Regardless of the perspective we need power in each and every step of our life. If you want to "change lives, change organizations, change the world," the Stanford business school’s motto, you need power. NB! If anyone are interested in discussing the topics of this book, I am looking for like minded people who are intrigued by these kind of subjects.

If you want to “change lives, change organizations, change the world,” the Stanford business school’s motto, you need power. If fully understood and harnessed effectively, power skills and understanding become the keys to increasing salaries, job satisfaction, career advancement, organizational change, and, happiness. In 7 Rules of Power, Jeffrey Pfeffer, professor of organizational behavior at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, provides the insights that have made both his online and on-campus classes incredibly popular—with life-changing results often achieved in 8 or 10 weeks. Appear powerful. Pfeffer makes the case that displaying anger and not apologizing are effective tools for building power. And when it comes to speaking, he advises avoiding using notes when you speak and using simple words, strong declarations, and repeating themes. “Master how to appear confident, attractive, and powerful,” he says, in summary. (p. 84) Surprise your competitors and advance yourself in the hierarchy by asking for things that others would hesitate to ask. Often, it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission

Melvin Lerner, the social psychologist, years ago wrote about the just-world effect, or the just-world hypothesis, where people want to believe that the world is just and fair, which gives them a sense of control. Unfortunately, the world is not just and fair, and we know that. Ultimately this book will help you people better understand the everyday dynamics and political truths of organizations of all types, public and private. The objective of this book is to make people learn how to apply these 7 Rules of Power and achieve their desirable goal, or moreover have a clarification at least. The rules are deceptively simple, and yet most people don't do them, out of fear that others won't like them (Rule 1: Get Out Of Your Own Way) and they'll get in trouble for stepping out of line (Rule 2: Break the Rules). They don't think they deserve power, so they don't act powerful (Rule 3: Appear Powerful). Rules of Power delivers easy-to-digest, practical tips for how you can be more powerful in your own life. Using real-life examples of individuals altering their lives by following his rules, Pfeffer delivers his message with humor and humanity. Pfeffer shows us how often we give away our power and how we can reclaim it.” The research is also very good, and I appreciate someone telling the hard truth. This author seems to truly have wanted to deliver truth and helpful advice, rather than being liked (which, if you have read the book, will get the non-irony of that). I have studied by annotated, highlighted and rewritten sentences from the book. I have already recommended books about power to my female friends who have been taken advantage of and experienced things no people on this planet deserve to encounter. This book might be the most helpful one yet of those.

Success!

Though I was completely convinced with all the research and the anecdotes that Jeffrey provides, while reading through the book all I needed to do was to run through each “powerful” person I was seeing around me now and in my past. I was amazed to see how some of the rules like “appear powerful”, “break the rules” and “success excuses almost everything…” were brilliantly played out in real life. I could see people breaking the rules - appearing powerful both through that as as well gaining power through that. People who have ongoing allegations against them getting second terms as leaders of elite institutions and so on and so forth. Is power the last dirty secret or the secret to success? Both. While power carries some negative connotations, power is a tool that can be used for good or evil. Don’t blame the tool for how some people used it. Ideas from 7 Rules of Power helped me design and live my dream career as a digital health expert. This book is a must-have for minorities and people seeking to have social impact, because we tend to shy away from the concept of power. 7 Rules reframes power and provides tactical, practical tools to actually change the world!”