Jeff Pfeffer, a renowned professor at Stanford University, asserts that being nice will not propel professionals ahead of their peers in the workplace. Drawing on nearly five decades of teaching leaders and change agents in the making, Pfeffer knows what really counts. He puts a premium on delivering results versus winning a popularity contest.
This is right in line with Pfeffer’s major thesis—that young professionals, and especially women, are pressured to be liked at work. He argues that performance and the impressions of bosses above you in the hierarchy are what’s key. You’re not hired to make friends, you’re hired to achieve results,” Pfeffer states. He’s fond of saying that getting results for you should always take priority over getting permission.
In his recent MasterClass titled “The Power Playbook,” which was published on August 21, Pfeffer discusses strategies for gaining influence in professional settings. He points out that high-achieving employees don’t just meet expectation, they might be early on their results, under-promise and over deliver. Good employees always do a good job, doing what’s needed, when it’s needed, but the best employees do more.
Pfeffer’s insights resonate with business magnate Mark Cuban, who emphasizes that one of the greatest values an employee can offer is the ability to reduce their boss’s stress. Cuban explains that successful employees should “analyze a situation, find a solution and not make a big deal out of it.” He claims that everyone’s at fault, that everyone makes it worse by manufacturing needless drama, raising the anxiety level for all concerned. As Cuban points out, too often people are just running around in circles of confusion. This confusion automatically raises the stakes and flattens everything out, creating a sense of panic.
Pfeffer stresses the significance of workplace social ties. He makes the case that people at any level of a company’s org chart have the power to determine their own career fates. Instead, he urges everybody in the profession to focus on how they can lift the loads placed on their bosses. As Pfeffer explains, taking this approach creates a healthier, happier and therefore more productive workplace and makes you a more desirable employee in the long run.