Across The Pond Talk

The Art of Office Politics: How to Lead with Strategy and Confidence

For Black and women of colour in leadership, excelling at work often requires more than just competence it requires a deep understanding of the unspoken rules of office politics. While these dynamics can feel overwhelming or even discouraging, the truth is, navigating them with grace, strategy and authenticity can help propel your career to new heights.

In the professional world, particularly for Black and women of colour, the ability to engage with office politics can be the difference between remaining stagnant or achieving your full potential. Office politics doesn’t mean playing games or manipulating situations. Instead, it’s about understanding how the workplace ecosystem operates and how to position yourself in a way that aligns with both your personal values and career ambitions.

3 Key Ways Office Politics Manifests for Black Women in Leadership

Assertive? You’re labelled aggressive. Reserved? You lack presence. Passionate? You’re too emotional. Leadership frameworks still reward one dominant style and it’s rarely one shaped by the lived experience of women of colour. The workplace may preach diversity, but too often it still promotes conformity.

Most mainstream leadership programmes are designed through a Eurocentric lens, prioritising traits like executive presence, charisma and linear communication. But these markers of “effectiveness” can clash with cultural ways of speaking, leading, or resolving conflict. As a result, women of colour are often forced to choose between authenticity and acceptance.

From self-driving vehicles to AI-optimised logistics, the transport sector is racing ahead with innovation. But in many cities, the everyday reality tells a different story. Financially strained councils are reducing services while charging more, public infrastructure is lagging and poorly planned electric vehicle rollouts have left many unconvinced. And with the rise of 15- or 20-minute city policies promoted by the World Economic Forum, important questions are surfacing “What happens to the elderly, the disabled, small businesses or caregivers who depend on cars? Are we building a future for all or just for some?”

AI may be advancing logistics and mobility design, but it risks exacerbating existing transport inequalities. While digital solutions are being deployed at pace, many communities especially those…