Political Awareness: Reading the Room in Any Organisation

    Political awareness is not about playing dirty games at work. It is about reading who really holds power, understanding alliances and rivalries, and moving your ideas to the right people. Real stories from Stars at India Inc.

    Political Awareness: Reading the Room in Any Organisation

    Political Awareness: Reading the Room in Any Organisation

    The Indian workplace is a crowded room \u2013 people from different regions, cultures, castes, languages and backgrounds, all with their own equations. The professionals who rise are rarely the loudest or even the most talented. They are the ones who can read the room: who really holds power, who is allied with whom, and where an idea must travel before it becomes a decision. That skill has a name \u2013 political awareness.

    In short

    Where this sits on your Winning Kite

    Political awareness is a core trait on the RQ \u2013 Relationship Intelligence \u2013 side of The Winning Kite (KITE Leadership Framework). In my framework, a leader is like a kite that rises only on balance: the top is Success, the left is EQ (emotional intelligence), the right is RQ (relationship intelligence) and the bottom is PQ (productivity). Political awareness lives on the right edge because it is fundamentally about relationships and power between people. It also draws heavily on your EQ \u2013 you cannot read a room without empathy and self-awareness. When this trait is strong, your whole kite pulls truer against the wind of a complex organisation.

    What political awareness actually means (and what it does not)

    Let me clear the biggest misunderstanding first. When I say \u201cpolitical awareness\u201d in a corporate training room, half the audience frowns. They think I am telling them to become schemers, flatterers, group-makers. That is exactly what it is not.

    In India, the workplace is complicated and diverse, with people from various regions, cultures and backgrounds. Being politically aware doesn\u2019t mean knowing about the politics outside your office, though business and politics do sometimes touch. It mainly means understanding how power works in the workplace \u2013 the roles of different people and groups, and how cultural differences and social networks shape what actually happens.

    Two words matter here, and people confuse them. Political awareness is understanding how things work in the organisation: who has power, and where the challenges and opportunities lie. Political savvy is being able to use that knowledge to build relationships, influence decisions and achieve your goals. Awareness is seeing the map. Savvy is walking it well. When you have both, you get along in the workplace, build strong networks and grow in your career \u2013 whether you are managing projects, leading teams or driving change.

    Picture a big Indian company where a small group of important people make all the decisions and rarely ask lower-level employees for their opinion. You also notice certain people carry huge influence purely because of their social connections. A politically aware person sees these dynamics, starts building relationships with those influential people, and finds ways to make their own ideas visible to the real decision-makers \u2013 by backing them with data, or by linking them to the company\u2019s stated goals. You increase your influence and reach your goals more effectively, even inside a rigid hierarchy. That is the whole game.

    Mr. Amar: political savvy in India\u2019s infrastructure sector

    My friend Mr. Amar is an entrepreneur who runs Mrityunjay Infra, a company in India\u2019s infrastructure sector. He came from a farming background, yet he built himself up in the brutally competitive world of contracting and bidding in the MSEB \u2013 Maharashtra State Electricity Board \u2013 sector.

    If you know that world, you know how hard it is. The infrastructure sector in India is thick with powerful players: chief engineers, local politicians, old contractor lobbies, officers who have been there for decades. For a first-generation entrepreneur, the doors are mostly shut. When Amar entered, nobody was waiting to welcome him. Bidding was stacked against a new company with no track record, and the criteria were often written to keep newcomers out.

    He could have given up or blamed the market. Instead, he leaned on political awareness and savvy. He identified the key players, built relationships with them, and learned to influence the decisions that touched his business. As I like to put it \u2013 he understood where the power was lying, and he knew where to hit and how to proceed, managing people and tackling competition to win. By truly understanding how power and relationships worked in his industry, he found opportunities where others saw only walls. Amar\u2019s story proves that with these competencies, anyone can establish a successful business even when the odds are against them.

    The workshop that never got approved

    Here is a smaller, sharper example that I have lived myself. Suppose you run a training centre and you want to organise a workshop for engineering students. You meet the regular lecturers who handle academic activities. They hear your proposal politely and say they will discuss it with the Head of Department before deciding. You wait. And wait. The response never comes, and you are left wondering why a good workshop was never approved.

    If you had political awareness, you would have realised something simple: the true decision-maker is neither the lecturers nor even the HOD \u2013 it is the principal or the owner of the college. Instead of resting your fate on people who cannot actually say \u201cyes,\u201d you would have taken a proactive route and approached the principal directly, with respect for the chain. That is not going over anyone\u2019s head to be rude; it is understanding the real power structure and working within it. The lesson is permanent: identify who can truly decide, and make sure your idea reaches that person.

    This competency is not only for entrepreneurs. Leaders and working professionals in every industry need it. When you understand the political landscape of your workplace, you can spot key players, form strategic alliances, anticipate roadblocks and make informed decisions. Developing political awareness also signals strong emotional intelligence \u2013 a quality every organisation prizes in its leaders.

    Ankit and Brijesh: the relationship he forgot to build

    Now the cost of getting it wrong. Ankit works for a company with multiple offices. He focuses hard on delivering results to his local manager, Priyanka, and they have a good relationship \u2013 she recognises his work and speaks well of him to the corporate office. So far, so good.

    But Ankit puts all his energy into connections at his own level. He makes almost no effort to build relationships with influential people on the management team \u2013 above all with Brijesh, who is Priyanka\u2019s boss. And Brijesh is the decision-maker for salary hikes at the corporate office, with many people like Ankit to consider. Because Ankit has no direct relationship with Brijesh, he never registers as a valuable asset in the mind of the man who actually holds the lever. The result is predictable: Ankit\u2019s career growth stalls.

    Ankit\u2019s focus on ground-level connections is good \u2013 but it is not enough. He should have recognised the importance of being visible to Brijesh. By building that relationship, he would have increased his power and visibility in the organisation and positioned himself to move up. Being excellent at your desk is necessary; being known by the people who decide your future is what converts excellence into growth.

    S. Jaishankar: political savvy at the highest table

    Political savvy is not only a corporate skill \u2013 it operates at the level of nations. Consider Mr. S. Jaishankar, India\u2019s Minister of External Affairs, a career diplomat and former Foreign Secretary. He is known for his political astuteness and his ability to navigate complex international relationships. During his tenure as Foreign Secretary he played a key role in several high-profile missions, including the resolution of the Doklam standoff with China in 2017.

    What made him effective? He understood the underlying power dynamics of global politics, which let him negotiate skilfully on India\u2019s behalf. He had a reputation as a fine listener \u2013 someone who took the time to understand the viewpoints of different stakeholders \u2013 and that is precisely how he built consensus and achieved his objectives. In his book, The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World, he stresses that understanding the larger forces at play \u2013 global power shifts, changing economic dynamics \u2013 is crucial for effective negotiation and decision-making. Diplomacy is political awareness in its purest, most consequential form.

    Bharat Gite: from humble beginnings to Taural India

    Another friend whose journey I am proud to share is Mr. Bharat Gite, Founder & CEO of Taural India. His rise in the demanding field of aluminium castings is a testament to political awareness, political savvy and strategic decision-making in the complex Indian business landscape.

    Despite early hardships, Bharat\u2019s passion for metallurgical engineering carried him to the prestigious College of Engineering Pune. He had a vision to bring German technology to India, so he pursued a master\u2019s at the renowned Technical University of Aachen in Germany, gaining priceless experience working for companies like BMW AG and Mahle GmbH. Back in India, he founded G&B Metal Casting in 2014, which evolved into Taural India \u2013 a joint venture with Thoni Alutec of Poland, one of the world\u2019s leading names in aluminium castings. Today Taural serves clients across Defence, Aerospace and EV.

    But it is not only his technical brilliance that sets Bharat apart. His political acumen and strategic decision-making have been critical, earning him recognition for his contribution to India\u2019s economic development \u2013 including the \u201cPride of Maharashtra\u201d award and a \u201cSpecial Jury Award \u2013 Import Substitution\u201d at the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) 2022 event. As President of the COEP Alumni Association and a member of the Bhau Institute of Entrepreneurship & Leadership Board of Directors, he is genuinely committed to building a growth mindset in India\u2019s youth. His journey shows how reading power correctly, and acting on it with integrity, lifts a first-generation founder to global heights.

    Priya: navigating office politics between two rivals

    Political savvy also means healing broken equations. Imagine Priya, leading a crucial project in an Indian IT company that needs collaboration from multiple departments. Two department heads \u2013 Atif and Rekha \u2013 refuse to cooperate because of a long-standing rivalry. In an earlier project they had a dispute that ended with Rekha\u2019s promotion and Atif feeling unfairly treated. Now they will not work together, and Priya\u2019s project is stuck.

    Priya does not pick a side or complain upward. She reads the room. She understands the organisational culture and seeks guidance from her senior manager. She treats both Atif and Rekha professionally and with respect. She identifies key allies inside each department and studies their individual strengths and weaknesses. Then she acts: separate meetings with Atif and Rekha to hear their concerns; a clear case for how the project benefits their departments and the company; a teamwork structure where people from both sides collaborate with well-defined roles; and a team-building event to rebuild communication and rapport. In the end, both realise that working together serves them better, they set the rivalry aside, the project succeeds, revenue rises \u2013 and Priya\u2019s leadership is recognised.

    The moral is clear: political awareness is a critical quality for success in any organisation. Priya navigated a delicate rivalry because she understood the culture, was alert to alliances and rivalries, and grasped the larger forces at play. That is emotional intelligence and relationship intelligence working as one.

    The sales manager in Chennai: culture is political awareness too

    One more story, because political awareness includes cultural sensitivity. A sales manager from a Mumbai-based software company travelled to Chennai and struggled to close a single deal, despite his experience and product knowledge. On reflection he realised he lacked political awareness and sensitivity to the local culture. In Chennai, relationships and trust-building come before sales pitches and quick deals. He had been pushing features and benefits without understanding his clients\u2019 needs or building any personal connection.

    So he changed. He learned the local culture and social norms, took guidance from his Chennai-based colleagues, and even began learning Tamil to communicate better and build rapport. He showed genuine interest in local traditions and connected with clients as people first. With this new awareness, he built lasting relationships \u2013 and the sales and revenue followed. Reading the room, in India, always includes reading the region.

    The three core elements \u2013 and how to build them

    To develop political awareness, understand its core elements:

    ElementWhat it means
    Sensitivity to organisational cultureBeing aware of the unwritten rules, implicit expectations and cultural norms that guide behaviour in your workplace.
    Understanding alliances and rivalriesRecognising the relationships and power dynamics among colleagues and stakeholders, and the history of any conflicts or alliances that touch your work.
    Knowledge of larger forcesStaying informed about external factors \u2013 industry trends, political and regulatory developments, and global economic shifts.

    Developing this is not overnight work; it takes consistent practice. Here are the strategies I teach in my corporate training programmes:

    Notice what is missing from that list: manipulation, flattery, backstabbing. Political awareness done Avinash\u2019s way is ethical to the core. It is simply the mature ability to see the human system you work inside \u2013 and to move through it with respect. That is why it sits so naturally on the relationship side of your kite, and why it pairs with the next trait, Influence \u2013 Persuading with Purpose.

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    Avinash Chate

    TEDx Speaker · Founder, The Future Corporate · Author of Stars at India Inc.

    Avinash has trained the Indian Army, BRO, RBI, BARC, JSW Steel and 1000+ corporate leaders across India. His work focuses on leadership, emotional intelligence and behavioural training rooted in Indian values and modern business needs.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is political awareness at work?

    Political awareness is understanding how power actually works in an organisation \u2013 who really makes decisions, which alliances and rivalries exist, and how culture and social networks shape outcomes. It is about reading the room accurately, not about playing dirty games.

    What is the difference between political awareness and political savvy?

    Political awareness is knowing how power and relationships work. Political savvy is using that knowledge ethically to build relationships, make your ideas visible to real decision-makers, and achieve your goals. Awareness is seeing the map; savvy is walking it well.

    Is political awareness the same as manipulation?

    No. Manipulation uses power to harm or deceive. Political awareness, done right, means being respectful, avoiding gossip, keeping confidences and connecting your ideas to the organisation\u2019s goals. It is emotional and relationship intelligence in action.

    How can I develop political awareness in my career?

    Observe and listen to spot informal power structures, build genuine relationships across levels, seek mentors who understand the culture, stay informed about industry and organisational shifts, practise empathy, and always stay respectful and professional. For a structured path, explore Avinash\u2019s signature programs or get in touch.

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