Politics: Good, Bad, or Ugly?
The very word politics often evokes negative images: unscrupulous leaders, corruption, power-hungry individuals, self-promotion, and wily manoeuvrings. Recently, I asked an AI platform to define “Politics.” The answer I got was surprisingly simple yet powerful: “Politics is the process of making collective decisions about power, resources, and rules that shape how people live together in society.” That sparked a thought: what do I really think politics—or politicking—is about? Why Now? After more than forty years in the corporate world, climbing the so-called ladder and now mentoring young professionals, I find myself urging mentees to be “politically suave” in their organizations. At the same time, looking at the world stage today, I see the antics of many self-styled "M egalothaumaturges" (my coined word combining Megalo = grand, and Thaumaturge = miracle-worker)—leaders who want to shape the world, or sometimes twist it out of shape! All this made me reflect more de...