Can Politics Make You a Better Business Leader?

Politics is a messy business, filled with larger-than-life personalities who can be deeply flawed but still offer grandiose visions for how they can best lead. While the vision of political leadership is a lofty one, focused on serving the greater good, the day-to-day reality of the political business is often found much lower, many times down deep in the mud.

The US just went through a highly divisive election season, one that did not end with camaraderie between leaders. Most people will admit the entire process left them exhausted and overwhelmed. It’s resulted in a difficult environment to lead in, or to build a coalition of support. 

The politics of government leadership can often seem more like an entertaining sideshow than a serious service, but it does provide valuable insights. There is much to be learned from the way a candidate runs for office. For businesses especially, there are powerful takeaways from politics – both in what to do and what not to do – in terms of leadership, understanding your constituents (or customers, as the case may be), distinguishing yourself from the competition and staying relevant.

Read on to discover three helpful things that political campaigns can teach you about your own business strategy, and take note of three cautionary tales you would do best to avoid.

Red Letter Learnings

Use data, and use it well. Political campaigns are really about building a business, and quickly. One with an expiration date. That means they have to be smart, strategic and agile and understand constituents well. The same methods used to target voters can apply to businesses looking to target customers. If you find you’re doing things the way you’ve always done them, or marketing your message in the same channels, take a page from politics and use the data you have to reach customers in new ways.

Own your message. Politicians are masters at knowing their message and sticking to the script. A campaign can easily be thrown off by what the other candidates are doing, or the news of the day. A good politician knows to address the immediate but to quickly pivot to the bigger picture. If you’re not communicating your vision consistently to your employees and your customers it’s easy to get sidetracked, or to be driven by the winds of change. Commit to your message and then make sure that message is heard and understood.

Embrace disruption. Most politicians don’t win office by promising the same old status quo. They promote change – something better and improved. Over time, they’ve learned to champion disruptive methods and technologies to connect to their constituents. Whether it was embracing the 30 second TV spot in the 1950s, trying out digital marketing at the turn of the century, or engaging users on social media today, if it means making a splash you can bet politicians will give it a try. Consider your own business – is there a way you can lean into disruption and, by doing so, differentiate?

Red Flag Warnings

Don’t assume you know your customers better than they do. One of the worst things a politician can do is misjudge their voters. Too often a dogmatic candidate will press forward with an agenda, ignoring what matters most to their constituents, often losing as a result. Companies can learn from this mistake – in the push to innovate, to be first or to win against the competition don’t forget to keep your finger on the pulse of your customer’s needs. Be aware that preferences and expectations change, and sometimes change quickly. Be sensitive to addressing what your customers want, when and how they want it. 

Don’t ignore mistakes or misinformation. Even for the most polished, seasoned candidate, it’s hard to get through a political campaign without tripping over your feet. Mistakes are a given, but there is also the challenge of dealing with misinformation – whether malicious in nature or simply erroneous. Entire campaigns have been blown off course by failing to respond. If you make a mistake as a company, address it quickly and be honest and sincere in your efforts. If you’re facing a campaign of misunderstanding or misinformation, take the lead in sharing facts and educating your customers and partners. Never sit quietly, hoping it will pass. Direct and open communication is a necessity in today’s transparent business environment.

Don’t blame the wrong person for results. How many times have we seen a junior staffer take the fall for what happened in a campaign? Failure and firings on the political stage are common, and rarely does the candidate take the fall. In business this strategy won’t work for long. Encourage a ‘buck stops here’ mentality for all senior leadership. Someone who doesn’t have final sign off on strategy shouldn’t be forced to shoulder the burden of the results. A focus on team effort, one backed with support by executives, breeds long lasting loyalty.

The next time you watch a political campaign in action, consider what you can adopt and what you can avoid in your own business. Chances are, you’ll find plenty of inspiration for both. Managing strategy is not always easy, which is why we’ve created a highly visual solution that helps you to quickly assess whether your efforts are working or falling flat. Our goal is to help you create the best environment for you to effectively lead. Let us walk you through the StrategyBlocks platform to find out if it’s right for your business. Contact us for a free demo today.