Going up may take you down
In this post I’ve condensed The Power Paradox. Full credit for it’s content goes to the author Dacher Keltner. I’m trying my hand at condensing a long article to 300 words or less. The goal is providing Leadership Freak readers the benefit of a long article in a 90 second read.
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The skills most important to obtaining power and leading effectively are the very skills that deteriorate once we have power.
A Definition of power:
In psychological science, power is defined as one’s capacity to alter another person’s condition or state of mind. This definition stresses the individual’s capacity to affect others.
By this definition, one can be powerful without needing to try to control, coerce, or dominate. Indeed, when people resort to trying to control others, it’s often a sign that their power is slipping.
Gaining Power:
Social science reveals that one’s ability to get or maintain power, even in small group situations, depends on one’s ability to understand and advance the goals of other group members.
The more dynamic, playful, engaging members of the group quickly garner and maintain the respect of their peers. We give power to those who can best serve the interests of the group.
Power is given not grabbed:
Machiavellian’s mistakenly believe that power is acquired strategically in deceptive gamesmanship and by pitting others against one another. However, power increasingly has come to rest on the actions and judgments of other group members. Socially, a person’s power is only as strong as the status given to that person by others.
Skills deteriorate:
Once individuals gain power, they are more likely to interrupt others, to speak out of turn, and to fail to look at others who are speaking. Surveys of organizations find that most rude behaviors emanate from the offices and cubicles of individuals in positions of power.
Conclusion:
Power is given to individuals, groups, or nations who advance the interests of the greater good in socially-intelligent fashion. Yet unfortunately, having power renders many individuals impulsive and poorly attuned to others, making them prone to act abusively and lose the esteem of their peers.
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What can leaders do to protect themselves and their organizations from the corrupting influence of power?
Most of this article is quoted from Dacher Keltner’s article. Is it legal to do this? Is it a service to Leadership Freak readers to condense an interesting article? Thanks for your feedback.
Dear Dan,
-Thank you for this condensed article. In my opinion is useful that you revealed the most significant points of view from “The Power Paradox”-Dacher Keltner. You made this with a good and practical purpose.
-To answer to your question:”What can leaders do to protect themselves and their organizations from the corrupting influence of power?”:
-I believe that leaders must not forget that they are humans before leaders.
-In order to be great leaders not only with the title ( leader or manager, or any other powerful statute) they must care about respect, they must be educated to believe that a team always can do much more than 1 person.
With kind regards to you and to all Leadership Freak readers,
Dear Simona,
Great to see you becoming a regular on LF. Thank you.
I think you make an important comment. Understanding that 1 person is not enough helps protect individuals and organizations against the corrupting influence of power.
Best regards,
Dan
Hi Dan
Interesting concept. First of all I don’t think there is ever a problem using another person’s ideas and thoughts provided we give them their due credit which you have clearly done. The concept of power can be misleading at times. For power to exist there has to be a community present with certain individuals having been “ordained” to carry out the chores and duties of that group. Without that congregation present, willing to follow, and be led by an individual/s there is no power. More importantly true power can never be acquired, it has to be proffered and accepted by the empowered. With power comes great responsibility. The core of power emanates from the capability to make decisions for the community for the good of all. One would think that looking at an “Org” chart one could quickly discern which persons harbor the power yet in reality too often in life the “titles” bestowed don’t really depict those that are truly in “charge.” It is almost like the commercial of long ago, “when EF Hutton speaks everyone listens.” Do people pay attention when we speak? Do they listen with intent to what we say? Is our rhetoric important and impactful on their lives? And last and most vital in my mind, are We “vigilant” to their needs. Having “Power” over others is both a privilege and a responsibility. There are plenty of times in life when we all wish someone else was in charge and had to make the hard decisions and all we had to do was grab a comfortable seat and let the conductor take us to our destination. Power can be never be effectively executed unless it is covered by the mantra of TRUST. Without trust all power becomes tyrannical and in the long run it’s effects non-sustainable. I am a strong believer that real power belongs to the “people,” is for the “people” and can only be given by the “people.” We can never “empower” someone who does not empower themselves. (Joe Tye-“All Hands on Deck”)
Hi Al,
I love how you bring some very important concepts to the discussion.
1. Org. charts don’t always reveal true power bases in organizations.
2. Trust is key to effectively leveraging power over the long haul. That should help protect against the corrupting influence of power.
I notice this is the second time you mention Joe’s book. YOu’ll be glad to know that Joe sent me his book and I’ll be reviewing it here on LF.
Best,
Dan
Dr. Al Diaz is a featured contributor on Leadership Freak. He comes with extensive experience in the medical field. You can read about him at: http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/al-diaz
Dan, Nice job!!!!! As a leader I always try to remember where I came from. The Bible tells us to do unto others as we would have others do unto us. The “Golden Rule” would serve all of us well. Keep up the fine work. Howie
Howie,
Thanks for the good word and reminder to remember where we all came from.
Best,
Dan
Hi Dan,
What can leaders do to protect against the corrupting influence of power? Always hold the goals and methods of the organization up to high scrutiny as well as themselves.
When power starts to careen beyond its healthy boundaries, the leaders often start justifying their actions based on the goal (The ends justify the means.)
If the org. scrutinizes the goals and methods, it is one way of stopping the corrupting influence of power.
An even bolder step is to empower employees to be whistle blowers within the organization so that problems can be stopped before it hits the WEB. Whistle blowers in the ranks are rare because they fear reprisals not only in their current company/job but also a label that might follow them behind the scenes.
To answer your other question, is it legal to quote? Yes as far as I know. Think of all the journalists and writers who have quoted. The extent to which you can quote excerpts as you have done — might be something you would want to check on if you think it is a grey area.
All the best,
Kate
Hi Kate,
I’m always delighted when you stop in to leave a comment.
I think you raise an insightful point. Alignment with organizational goals and methods should help protect against the corrupting influence of power.
The closer a leader aligns with organizational mission, vision, and values, the more authority they have and the greater the opportunity for organizational members to invest the leader with power.
I hadn’t even thought of the whistle blower idea. I wonder how a system could be set up that achieves the goal of protecting whistle blowers and protects organizations and leaders as well. Cool idea.
Best regards,
Dan
Kate Nasser is a featured blogger on Leadership Freak. She has extensive experience and expertise in the Customer Service arena. You can read her bio at: http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/kate-nasser
All those bad conditions result from the application of force, not power. It’s not power over others or power to change others minds… it’s power through others. Like gravity – mass ‘creates’ gravity – so do groups create influence and power.
Power (like gravity) around a cause, a person, an event, an organization, etc. influences people to act.
So the more mass/group I create the larger the power to influence others through the group.
My favorite Star Trek quote I shared before was Q to Geordi (paraphrasing) “If you want to change the orbit of that asteroid simply change the gravitational constant of the universe.”
I learned this idea from the book “Power vs. Force” by David Hawkins.
Great book in my opinion http://www.amazon.com/Power-vs-Force-Determinants-Behavior/dp/1561709336
Alan,
You bring an entirely new dimension to this conversation. Thank you!
Any comment with a Star Trek quote has to be good. I loved the orignal.
Thanks for the the book recommendation and link.
All the best,
Dan
Dear Dan,
I agree that power corrupts people and organisation most of the time. Power influences person and opens the door that is attactive, crime and corrupt prone. Power itself is not corrupt. Can we say that the most powerful people are corrupt ? It is the people who make the wrong and unethical use of power. So, in this sense, people misuse power for thier own benefit. Power used in public interest is not misuse. But power used to benefit self or self interested activities is misuse of power.
What influences people in power to misuse or indulge in crime prone activities ? I think, it is their belief. What is their belief about the paramenter for success. It is thier belief whether parameter for success for them is postion, power, money or value. And whether parameter is for self fulfilling prophecy or public or socal needs.
Power influences your moral compass and your inclination towards power depends upon what matters most for you. Strong value oriented people protect themselves from external influences and people with low values often fall prey to power.
Leader can protect himself and organisation from corrupting influence of power by showing actions, behaviours and decisions based on strong values, ethics and morality. Creating value based culture and empowering others in decision making process, encouraging whistleblower policy, can be helpful in restoring honesty, peace and high morale in the organisation.
If society and people publicy accept and acknowldge your power honestly then it is power, if they do not then that power is powerless.
What all of us can do to keep power in context.
http://tracyelpoured.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/absolute/
Dan,
This is some good stuff. The deterioration of power (once it is obtained) reminds me of a romantic relationship. In the beginning, you are all about serving the other persons needs. They could ask you anything and you would probably do it. Why? Because you want that persons love, attention and affection. Once you get what you desire, the challenge of “keeping the fire burning” is all about continuing to meet that persons needs (just as the leader with power should continue to meet the needs of the group).
One thing a leader could do to avoid the deterioration of power is to continue to give it away by empowering the group he or she serves. The more empowered the group feels, the less it becomes about the leader. That is easier said than done, but it has to be a daily discipline.
Joshua (Josh?), your point is so true. I am thinking of those huge turbines that create wind power. They can do so much good, but unless they are fed energy in, they can’t give any out. There has to be an exchange or the individual’s power loses its ability to energize. Hope to see you again here on LF.
Hey Dan,
What can leaders do to protect themselves and their organizations from the corrupting influence of power?
Actually, Power is a great motivator, as my friend and colleague David Burnham and his academic colleague and mentor David McClelland have often written.
Want to read more: McClelland, D.C. and Burnham, D.H. (1976). “Power is the great motivator.” Harvard Business Review. 54, pp. 100-111.
Great leaders are highly motivated by Power, the key is in the type of Power that motivates them. As the two above Davids have written, there are four types of power.
Dependent Power
Focus: Seeks what is needed from others in authority
Values: Respect for Authority
Independent Power
Focus: Seeks what is needed from oneself
Values: Autonomy
Imperial Power
Focus: Manipulates others to make things happen
(i) Personal Power – benefits me
(ii) Institutional Power – benefits the organization
Values: Power over others and action
Interactive Power
Focus: Creates an environment that motivates others to achieve the organization’s goals through influence and persuasion
Values: Teamwork, Others, Empathy, Outcomes
Great leaders strive to express Interactive Power.
Most of this article is quoted from Dacher Keltner’s article. Is it legal to do this?
Of course, as long as you tell the reader whose work you have cited.
Is it a service to Leadership Freak readers to condense an interesting article?
Absolutely, and always provide the citation, which you did here, so those of us who would like to read the entire article can easily find it.
Dan, look at it this way, use the R&D model. No, not Research & Development, Replicate & Duplicate, which is what most of us do anyway. Ask yourself, how many “Original” thoughts have you had lately.
Jim,
I remembering studying much of McClelland’s work when I was in graduate school. Always enjoyed his perspective and remember quoting him in many a paper I had to write!
Thanks for reminding me.
Kate
Most of this article is quoted from Dacher Keltner’s article. Is it legal to do this? Is it a service to Leadership Freak readers to condense an interesting article? Thanks for your feedback.
I think it is definitely a service to condense an interesting article. My thoughts on the legality (not that I have any legal expertise!) is that the most important factor is accurately attributing the words to the authors. I would consider contacting the authors to let them know you are doing this; perhaps that would give you added assurance that they are supportive. Why wouldn’t authors want a summary going out to 15,000+ potential readers?!
Answering the second question first…again, credit given completely, it is ethical and of service to your readers. Often, when I catch a snapshot from a resource, I then trace back to the original to see what else is present to expand my perspective and to ensure validity of the presentation.
Trust and verify! Once earned, it can be renewed or revoked at any time.
Answering the first question…shift happens. Covert and overt power ebbs and flows. Power has an illusive quality to it. Again, if earned, it too can be renewed or revoked at any time.
This article is so resourcesful and presenting the reality on the ground of most organisations. In often times leaders at the top misuse power for their private gains . At the same time we have asection of people in an organisation who also give away their power in the name of love, inside they burn with issues but choose to be silent. this is very dangerous and affects organisational growth. The exercise of power requires one acting as having power with, for , of, but not over. in the same way those in junior positions must also express their personal power to influence decisions, giving away power is deadly to an organisation. we need to use the approaches of appreciative inquiry and deep democracy to practise the use of positive /non abusive power. Both power and love are integral in an organisation they go hand in hand.