How to Expand Power and Lead with Honor
The ethical development and use of power is essential to leadership success. But anytime you rely on title or position, you’ve lost influence and resorted to intimidation.
Coercive power offends talent. Think of leaders who advance their own agenda at the expense of others.
How to gain influence-power:
Influence-power is better than power associated with position.
Power is seized. Influence is earned.
Gain influence-power by understanding others and advancing shared goals.
Contrast:
Getting/giving:
- Corrupt power is about personal gain.
- Power that influences is open handed. The ethical development of power includes generosity.
Listening/talking:
- People in positions of power talk too much and listen too little.
- People of influence listen.
Relationship:
- Leaders with positional power want you to understand them.
- Leaders with influence understand you.
Given:
Influence is always given – never seized.
Managers who lose influence resort to position. They push down, limit, pressure, manipulate, and coerce.
Influencers lift, expand, inspire, and set free.
Influencers add vibrancy.
Get things done:
If influencers advance the goals of others, how do they get things done? They align goals, passions, values, vision, and mission.
You can’t influence people whose goals conflict with organizational objectives.
Influence-power only works where goal-alignment exists.
Build teams that align with organizational objectives and you create opportunities for influence, as long as you focus on shared goals.
A person of influence:
- Understands people.
- Practices humility.
- Builds trust.
- Serves the best interest of others.
- Works to achieve organizational objectives.
- Talks values more than obedience.
What does the ethical development of power look like to you?
The principle of power is like that of love. If you want more love, you have to love others. Give it away. If you want more power, you have to empower others. Give it away.
Thanks, Dan, for emphasizing the underlying principles of successfully living our lives. And, sharing the wisdom you have found.
Thanks Alan. Powerful observation… if you want power – the ability to do good things and lead – you have to give power away. cheers
Ethical power is one where the leader uses simple language to communicate to the team.
Thanks Gerry. You comment made me think about being transparent vs manipulative. cheers
Dan,
If we think of ” ethical values ” beyond an individual’s title. we can develop ” common ground”. I’m a firm believer we have to give power and build on the essence of development. Don’t constrict those we lead!
Hi Dan,
This one line did it for me “Power is seized. Influence is earned.”
I’d like to think that influencing leaders will one day become the norm rather than be the minority.
my first thought when coaching is “how can I help you become the best you can be”.
Keep on spreading the word!
“You can’t influence people whose goals conflict with organizational objectives”
The objective of most organisations is to fatten the bottom line and make a big dividend for the shareholders, whilst hammering costs by any means at the organisation’s disposal. Most employees don’t, and will never have, goals that align with those objectives. Maybe this is why leading by influence is rare and in most places “just do as I tell you” is the rule?
Leadership is about empathy. We must put ourselves in the shoes of our employees to really understand their desires and concerns. I once had a supervisor who knew everything about policy but was extremely inflexible. Empathy was lacking. During decision making he never took into account the ideas and feelings of his employees. If an employee was having a bad day, instead of finding out and understanding the employees frustrations or concerns, he would basically state just get the work done, do your job, nothing else matters. This is the wrong message, especially among younger generations. The more employees believe their supervisors care about them personally, the harder they will work and the more driven they will be.