There is a paradox in business: many of those who are supposed to lead it sometimes admit their inability to move forward with their innovation or transformation projects. And this is not just true of middle managers. I often hear people say, “There’s nothing I can do at my level”. Coming from senior executives, this admission is surprising. The reason is often that these leaders have not recognized the political dimension of their role. By political dimension, we mean the ability to influence the group to move in a particular direction, in this case, to move stalled projects forward. This ability rarely rests on formal authority; it must be built. A useful historical example is how Lyndon Johnson managed to dominate the US Senate before becoming President of the United States.
In his book Master of the Senate, Robert Caro analyzes how Lyndon B. Johnson transformed the U.S. Senate, once seen as a stagnant institution, into a dynamic and effective legislative body. Elected to the Senate in 1948, Johnson quickly rose through the ranks to become the Democratic majority leader in 1954. His extraordinary command of the legislative process enabled him to overcome persistent legislative gridlock and pass major legislation.
Originally, the Senate was the center of governmental energy, the forum where the nation’s great issues were debated. By the time Johnson arrived, however, it had become a rubber-stamp chamber, responding only to executive initiatives and virtually impervious to the forces of postwar change. Caro analyzes the genius of the political strategy and tactics that enabled Johnson to become majority leader after only one term, the youngest and greatest leader in Senate history, in an institution where the seniority system had been all-powerful for more than a century; how he manipulated the rules and customs of the Senate, as well as the weaknesses and strengths of his colleagues, to transform the “immutable” Senate from a loose confederation of senators into a whirling legislative machine that he controlled with an iron fist.
One of Johnson’s strengths was his ability to forge alliances across party and regional lines. He maintained close relationships with senators from diverse backgrounds, which allowed him to understand their motivations and anticipate their reactions. This approach served him particularly well in the lead-up to the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Aware of the tensions between Southern Democrats who opposed civil rights and more progressive members of his party, Johnson was able to craft a compromise that, while modest, marked a significant advance in civil rights legislation.
Johnson was also known for his mastery of Senate procedure. He skillfully used the Senate’s complex rules to speed or slow the progress of legislation according to his objectives. This deep understanding of the legislative process allowed him to effectively navigate the bureaucratic maze and overcome procedural obstacles that often hindered the passage of legislation.
“Real power is knowing how things work.”
His pragmatic approach was evident in his willingness to compromise and his ideological flexibility. Rather than rigidly adhere to a partisan line, Johnson was willing to adjust his positions to achieve concrete results. This adaptability was instrumental in breaking legislative gridlock and promoting the passage of measures that had long been blocked by internal divisions in the Senate.
The Five Principles of Influence
Specifically, Johnson’s approach was based on five principles:
1. Understand the rules of the game, because betting on your ideas is not enough. Johnson was not content to simply have convictions. He had a perfect understanding of the inner workings, rules, informal customs, and levers of the Senate. He knew when and how to move an issue forward in the “great machine. You must have a deep understanding of the mechanisms, decision-making processes, and key players in your organization. Real power comes from knowing the system, not from the (perceived) power of your idea.
2. Invest in human relationships. Johnson spent a lot of time getting to know each senator individually, understanding their needs, fears, ambitions, but also their weaknesses, which he exploited without qualms. He personalized his approach. In an organization, blockages are rarely purely structural; they are human. Taking the time to understand individual motivations, building trust, and knowing how to speak to each person in their own language is often more effective than an email or memo.
3. Know how to compromise without losing sight of the goal. Johnson knew that perfect victory was not always possible. He accepted compromise, even if it meant moving forward on an issue in stages.
4. Act at the right time. Johnson had a keen sense of timing. He knew when to wait, when to accelerate, when to take symbolic action, and when to produce concrete results.
5. Choose influence over formal authority. Johnson was the boss, of course, but his effectiveness did not come from his title, which gave him no formal authority. He wielded enormous informal influence: he inspired respect, sometimes fear, built support, and forged alliances. He was a “fixer,” a man who worked behind the scenes as much as in the spotlight.
Of course, Johnson was not a role model in every way, and he was certainly no angel. But managers who find themselves stuck in their organizations can still take inspiration from him-not by being manipulative, but by being strategic, humane, and grounded in reality. Johnson did not change a paralyzed Senate by force or decree: he changed it from within, playing intelligently with its constraints. If he proved anything, it was that you can change a system without formal authority. Authority, after all, cannot be decreed; it must be built. So yes, at your level, whatever it may be, you can make a difference…
🇫🇷 A version in French of this article is available here.
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