The Power of Power: Handle With Care
Photo by Minu Pradeep on Unsplash
Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith define "power" as "influence potential." They further state, "If you want to influence the world in a positive way—you have to have power." Deborah Gruenfeld defines "power" as "the capacity to control other people and their outcomes." She expands on this by adding, "Power is not a personal attribute or possession. Power is the part you play in someone else's story." Gruenfeld builds on Helgesen's and Goldsmith's definitions by emphasizing that influence, which is what most people truly desire, is the outcome or effect of power.
However, power can also be used in very negative and destructive ways. Currently, we seem to be conflicted about the idea of power. Key questions include:
How is power derived?
Where does it come from?
How should it be used?
What are its real effects?
Four Types of Power
Ted Jenkins, a tech giant and the fourth person hired at Intel, suggests that there are four kinds of power within any organization:
The Power of Expertise: This is the power derived from what you know.
The Power of Connection: This is the power derived from who you know.
The Power of Personal Authority: This is the power derived from your own charisma, character, and reputation.
The Power of Position: This is the power derived from your titled role.
None of these sources of power, in and of themselves, determines whether the end result (the influence) is positive or negative. That determination lies within the heart of a leader.
The Hebrew Concept of the Heart
To understand this, we must leave our Western thinking behind and embrace a Hebrew concept of the heart. In Western thought and culture, the heart is often viewed as solely emotional. However, the Hebrew concept is much more holistic and includes:
Mind
Will
Emotions
It is that part of us that chooses every day, all day. It serves as our governing center.
Blanchard, Hodges, and Hendry, in their book Lead Like Jesus, recognize this concept of the heart—especially in relation to leadership. They emphasize the motives and intentions of a leader to better determine the positive or negative effects of a leader's use of power.
Motives and Intentions
- Motive: The reason we act, usually driven by a need or desire.
- Intention: What we plan to do to fulfill our needs or desires.
Motive supplies the "why", while intention speaks to the "what" and the "how."
You can see how these two aspects of the heart significantly influence the use of power. The orientation of our heart determines whether our power is primarily used to:
Serve self
Serve others
If we become self-serving, our sources of power and influence may become manipulative, exploitative, and destructive. However, if we allow our leadership influence to transcend self and serve others while still achieving the organizational mission and goals, our power can have a transformative effect and help create flourishing for others.
Growth in Power
I can make a strong case that any leader would benefit from growing in or increasing all four kinds of power. Additionally, every leader should pay attention to the orientation of their leadership heart to ensure the right use of power.
Reflection as a Leader
Returning to Gruenfeld’s insight, as a leader, what part do you want to play in another person's story?
It was Jesus, likely the most influential leader of all time, who said, "Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." He defines greatness and preeminence as a downward descent of power status, choosing to count others as more significant than ourselves for the betterment of those around us.
Action Steps
Take some time today to consider:
Which kind of power you may need to grow.
Your motives and intentions for the power you already possess.
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