# 296: Office Politics for Women Who Hate Office Politics

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/leading-women-in-tech-podcast-381160/296-office-politics-for-women-who-hate-office-politics.md
Podcast: [Leading Women in Tech Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/leading-women-in-tech-podcast-381160)
Published: 2026-04-14T12:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://tonicollis.com/leading-women-tech/296-office-politics-women-hate-office-politics
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/leadingwomenintech/LWIT_296_Final.mp3?dest-id=2183168
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/leading-women-in-tech-podcast-381160/episodes/296-office-politics-for-women-who-hate-office-politics
Duration seconds: 2508

## Resource

Office politics. Just reading those words probably made you want to click away — and that reaction is exactly why this episode exists. If you're a high-achieving woman in tech who has built your career on results, integrity, and doing excellent work, the idea of navigating office politics probably feels like a compromise. Like you'd be becoming someone you don't recognise. But here's what nobody says out loud: not engaging with office politics is itself a political choice. And for most high-performing women in tech leadership, it's one that is quietly costing them promotions, visibility, and influence — regardless of how good their work is. In this episode, Executive Coach Dr Toni Collis breaks down the critical distinction between the toxic version of office politics (which you should absolutely avoid) and the strategic, integrity-consistent leadership work of building influence, visibility, and advocates — which most high-achieving women have been avoiding along with it. This is not about becoming a different person. It's about leading fully in the organisation you're actually in. What you'll learn in this episode: ⏹ Why we as high-achieving women often resist office politics — and the specific career cost of that resistance ⏹ The two completely different things most women are calling "office politics" — and why separating them changes everything ⏹ Five practical moves for building influence and strategic visibility without compromising your values ⏹ How to build advocates (not just allies) who speak up for you in the rooms you're not in ⏹ The integrity check that tells you whether you're building genuine influence or drifting into game-playing Links and resources mentioned: ⏹ Take the Office Politics Quiz for Women in Tech: tonicollis.com/resources/office-politics-q…

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## Transcript

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