How often and in what ways might internal politics factor into project success?

When defining what project management is, the basic definition is the art of accomplishing a goal through people. When determining the success of a project, there are many factors weighing in that ultimately decide how successful a project is and among those factors, internal politics is typically near the top of the list. In a project team, the project manager is the one controlling the flow of things. Therefore, all project managers are political beings by virtue of their position within a project team. In the 2010 article, "Learning to Navigate Project Management Politics: Part 1", Demetrios Gianniris says:

"Ignoring external and internal politics can and will affect the health of your project. Understanding how to successfully use good politics to manage stakeholders through leadership and influence is not only a key component to project success, but also a key ingredient to your own longevity as a professional in the industry."

There are many ways to take advantage of politics within your project team. Building relationships without imposing agendas is a must-have. This means that you should take the time necessary to build your own network without imposing your own personal agendas on your relationships with team members, as well as the projects stakeholders. Effectively doing this will allow you to attract new opportunities, build visibility, improve relationships, and gain access to new information. Another big one is promoting full disclosure and openness within your team. It's possible to do this when you set a standard of communication by encouraging open and candid discussions, full sharing of information, and bring forth issues and deal with them. One last thing I would like to mention is contain your ego. In other words, restrain your self-brilliance, have humility towards your team members, and acknowledge the fact that you are there to serve.