The Enabler Ladder™: Turning Office Politics into Purposeful Power

Neel Writes
Nov 19, 2025
4 min read

“She’s capable, committed, consistent… but she’s not rising.”

The line lands like a mirror for countless women across modern workplaces. Talent, hard work, and authenticity have long been sold as the holy trinity of career success. Yet inside real organisations, another truth hums underneath the surface: competence alone doesn’t guarantee movement. Influence does.

The unspoken architecture of power—what we casually refer to as office politics—shapes who gets heard, seen, promoted, or overlooked. And somewhere along the way, women were conditioned to treat politics as manipulation, something to be avoided, tiptoed around, or silently judged.

The real story is far more nuanced.

Politics Isn’t the Enemy — Silence Is

Office politics gets a bad name because we only notice it when it’s used poorly. At its core, politics is simply the informal network through which power, access, and opportunities are distributed. Every workplace has these invisible corridors, and they’re neither good nor bad—they’re just human.

When someone avoids influence, they don’t stay neutral… they disappear.

Authenticity without strategy turns into invisibility. And invisibility, especially for ambitious women, is a heavy, unfair tax.

It’s time to rewrite the narrative.

Introducing: The Enabler Ladder™

The Enabler Ladder™ is a conscious leadership model designed to help women step into influence without shrinking their values or diluting their identity.

This isn’t about climbing over people. It’s about rising into your power.

Each rung of the ladder represents a shift—how you think, how you show up, how you shape perception, and how you engage with the ecosystem around you. It moves women from being silent contributors to intentional influencers.

Women don’t just need opportunity. They need strategy, sponsorship, and a leadership identity rooted in clarity and courage.

The Numbers That Tell the Hard Truth

Research reveals how uneven the playing field still is:

– Over half of women feel excluded from the informal circles where influence is exchanged.– When they advocate for themselves, they’re three times more likely to be labelled “too political.”– Only one in five women has a sponsor actively championing her rise.

If you’re not in the room where the story is shaped, you’re not in the race—no matter how exceptional your work is.

Are You on the Wrong Ladder?

A few reflective questions often reveal the gap:

– Do key decision-makers know your biggest wins?– Is anyone speaking your name in the rooms you’re not in?– Can you hold difficult conversations without emotional spillover?– Have you clearly defined your next step?– Are you showing up in spaces of influence, or just competence?

If the answer leans toward “no” more than “yes,” the issue isn’t capability. It’s the path.

The ladder matters as much as the climb.

The P.O.I.S.E.™ Method

The Enabler Ladder™ is anchored in the POISE™ framework—a practical guide to navigating influence with integrity:

P – Perception Management: Shape how people see you, don’t leave it to chance.

O – Opportunity Scanning: Read the hidden power map of your workplace.

I – Intentional Advocacy: Voice your wins, ask for stretch roles, seek visibility.

S – Sponsor Engagement: Build relationships with leaders who can open doors.

E – Emotional Agility: Stay steady and strategic when the stakes rise.

Influence isn’t charm or performance. Its presence—the kind that leaves a quiet imprint long after you leave the room.

From Toxic to Transformative

Office politics doesn’t have to feel like a battlefield. It can be a terrain—one women navigate consciously, boldly, and with clean intent. When women step into influence, they shift more than their own trajectory; they shift cultures, norms, and the possibilities for those coming after them.

If you’ve ever felt unseen despite relentless effort, remember: You’re not stuck. You’re simply climbing the wrong ladder.

Puja Talesara Bhandari’s upcoming book, Level UP: Six Strategies for Women to Rise, Influence & Lead with Impact, dives deeper into these themes. It’s a guide for every woman ready to claim space, drop old conditioning, and lead with intentional power.

About Puja Talesara Bhandari

Puja Talesara Bhandari is an internationally recognised Master IL leadership coach, mentor, and bestselling author known for shaping conscious and courageous leaders across the globe. With a deep understanding of human behaviour and leadership psychology, she helps women and leaders cultivate emotional intelligence, executive presence, and mindset mastery.

Her bestselling book Coexistence to Connection has gained worldwide praise for strengthening communication and leadership skills. Her upcoming release, Level UP, serves as a powerful blueprint for women ready to rise beyond limiting beliefs and create lasting impact.

Puja’s global influence spans Singapore, the Middle East, India, Europe, Africa, and the United States. Her leadership contributions have earned prestigious honours, including the Legacy Leadership Award (Paris), Asia’s Women Super Achiever Award, and a spot among LinkedIn’s Top 30 Women to Follow.

Through her venture Leadership Demystified and her work with John Mattone Global, she continues to coach executives, entrepreneurs, educators, and young leaders—turning potential into purpose and purpose into legacy.

Her philosophy is simple: “You don’t need a crown to be a queen—you need to claim your throne.”