In How Great Leaders Think: The Art of Reframing (2014,) organizational theorists Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal challenge the belief that doing the right thing alone should be enough, especially in complex situations marked by ambiguity, diversity, and scarcity. They argue that leaders must engage in politics to build coalitions and secure support for their initiatives.

Leaders need friends and allies to get things done. To sew up support, they need to build coalitions. Rationalists and romantics sometimes react with horror to this scenario. Why should you have to play political games to get something accepted if it’s the right thing to do? One of the classics of French drama, Molière’s The Misanthrope, tells the story of a protagonist whose rigid rejection of all things political is destructive for him and everyone involved. The point that Molière made four centuries ago still holds: it is hard to dislike politics without also disliking people. Like it or not, political dynamics are inevitable under three conditions most managers face every day: ambiguity, diversity, and scarcity.

Avoiding politics can stall progress; understanding political dynamics is key to effective leadership.