Zaleznik, A. (1970). Harvard Business Review.


The competition for power is characteristic of all political structures. And, whatever else they may be, business organizations are political structures in that they provide both a base for the development of executive careers and a platform for the expression of individual interests and motives. People in positions of authority, however, "differ from 'ordinary' humans," says this author, "in that they have the capacity to impose their personal defenses onto the stage of corporate life. Fortunately, the relationships are susceptible to intelligent management," and it is to the nature of this intelligence that the discussion is devoted.