Event Details

All worldwide alumni are welcome at this online event 'Power and Politics in Professional Careers' which is organised by Sensible Media Ltd and is made available to Lancaster alumni free of charge (usual price £37.50).

New York 09:00-10:00

London 13:00-14:00

Paris 14:00-15:00

Dubai 17:00-18:00

Singapore 21:00-22:00

Many professionals believe that if they work hard, and deliver results, their careers will take care of themselves. They are wrong. Wanting "office politics" not to exist does not make it go away.

In this webinar, we will draw on Professor Laura Empson's research into professional services firms to show how mid-career professionals can learn to better navigate power and politics at work.

We will discuss:

• How to see past the organogram and map real power at work

• Why political behaviour is not a bug, but an integral part of organisational life

• How much time and energy successful senior leaders devote to politics

• Why your rational business case may fail to persuade, and what to do instead

• How to better understand the psychological needs of your colleagues and bosses.

About the Speaker

Laura Empson is a Professor at Bayes Business School and Copenhagen Business School. She also holds Research Fellowships at Harvard Law School and the University of Cambridge. In 2025 she was ranked in the global top 2% of researchers, according to Stanford University's "Leading minds in science" rankings. In addition to dozens of academic articles, Laura has published several books with Oxford University Press, including Leading Professionals: Power, Politics, and Prima Donnas.

Laura writes regularly for Harvard Business Review and presents the podcast series, Leading Professionals. Before becoming an academic, Laura worked as an investment banker and strategy consultant. She has a PhD and MBA from London Business School. More at www.lauraempson.com.

Additional Information

All registrations include:

• Access to the webinar and the chance to ask questions live

• Catch-up recording of the webinar

• A bonus materials resource pack including slides and support materials.