Stanford Innovation Lab

You can’t win at office politics, but you can get better at playing the game. In this episode of LEAP!, Tina Seelig, Professor of the Practice in Stanford’s Department of Management Science & Engineering, along with Kit Rogers of Rambus Cryptography Research and Lauren Isford of Facebook share how they’ve navigated the intricate systems of power that shape every workplace. It’s a lot like team sports: you’ve got to know when to pass the ball and let someone else shine—and when to take your own shot.

You can’t do it all, no matter what our crazed culture tells you—and there’s no shame in walking away from a commitment that isn’t working out, as long as you do it thoughtfully, respectfully, and with plenty of advance warning. In the first episode of the LEAP! podcast, Tina Seelig, Professor of the Practice in Stanford’s Department of Management Science & Engineering, and guests Konstantine Buhler of Meritech Capital Partners and John Melas-Kyriazi of Spark Capital embrace the negative, exploring when, why, and how to say no. Life is full of great opportunities, but they’re not all for you.

Join Stanford Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig on a deep-dive into how to launch your career. Tina and Stanford alumni will discuss what skills have helped them thrive, and what they wish they’d learned while they were in school. Each episode explores a particular topic, including politics in the workplace, how to negotiate, and working on a team. Be sure to subscribe to get new episodes when the series launches.