Think Like a Leader
How many of us have never been seduced by the thought of power? Is it the first thing new leaders want? Power conjures up force and energy; the ability to do things the way you want them done and to direct others. But the power most leaders have is constrained by multiple factors – some good, some challenging.
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Feel Like a Leader
It is not common for the new leader’s belief in their powers to almost feel these beliefs evaporate as they are confronted by the realities of working in a modern workplace environment. And a good thing too! Unbridled power is good for no-one. But regardless of your feelings many others will believe you still wield it.
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Act Like a Leader
So how to use power today? As John Maxwell says, leadership is really influence, not power. Understand that the character, experience, understanding and skills you bring to your position are the real power-drivers and you are well on the way to being a powerful and respected leader.
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In this Power To You Podcast renowned leader for gender equality and co-founder of ‘Take The Lead’ Gloria Feldt zeroes in on how women can embrace their power with “intention, confidence and joy.” These weekly succinct but wisdom-packed coaching sessions offer concrete ways women can draw from their strength, intelligence, and knowledge to manifest their fullest potential. A good listen about the Vice President of the USA.
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In this article, ‘4 Principles for Using Your Leadership Power’ Randy Conley from ‘Leading with Trust’ opens with the well-known quotation by Lord Acton – ‘Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
'Power accompanies leadership. No matter how lofty or humble your title, whether you manage 3 people or 3,000, if you lead a girl scout troop or you’re the CEO of a multi-million-dollar company, you will be faced with choices on how to use your power.
You’re probably familiar with the above quote from Lord Acton. Unfortunately, there is much truth in his quote and one only has to look at the news headlines for the latest example of a leader who has misused power for his/her own personal gain.
A good friend of mine who has spent his entire career developing other leaders once shared a keen observation with me. He said that people who need to be in power probably shouldn’t be. His learning was that those people who craved power, who had an inordinate desire to be in control, were the ones most likely to use power in unhealthy ways. Of course my friend’s statement caused me to wrestle with the concept of power. Do I need to be in power? If so, why? Is it because of ego, status, or enjoyment of the privileges it affords? Is it a bad thing to want to be in power? Would I be unhappy or unfulfilled if I wasn’t in power? One question begets the next.'
Read the full article via the link below.
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A short ‘MBA 101’ video. Power means many different things to different people. For some, power is seen as corrupt. For others, the more power they have, the more successful they feel. For others, power is of no interest at all. The five bases of power were identified by John French and Bertram Raven in the early 1960s through a study they had conducted on power in leadership roles. The study showed how different types of power affected one’s leadership ability and success in a leadership role.
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This tranquil scene is Loch Faskally in Pitlochry. But this is not quite the gentle and natural place one might think. The man-made loch is retained by the Pitlochry Dam which was built between 1947 and 1950 as part of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board's Tummel Hydro-Electric Power Scheme. The dam incorporates a salmon fish ladder, allowing around 5,400 salmon to ascend annually, and is a popular visitor attraction – indeed one of my favourites. This hydro scheme powers many homes across Scotland.
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The Power of a Graceful Leader by Alexsys Thompson. Published by Lioncrest this year.
Power and grace are words not often used together, but in this new book Alexsys expands on her previous work on gratitude and her work as an executive coach and adjunct staff member for The Centre for Creative Leadership. Central to her work is the idea that the best leaders integrate who they are with how they lead. She recognises the pressure on people as they ‘rise through the ranks’ to become someone they are not – and often someone they don’t want to be. She sees no conflict with love, joy and compassion being part of the leader’s lexicon and urges those in positions of authority to listen to their inner voice. The various roles we play in life should not conflict but rather be integrated and harmonious.
Available from Wordery.
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Leadership in the Garden #75
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...without a little reflection, there is no Insight Added.
"Leadership is the wise use of power. Power is the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it."
Warren G. Bennis
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Lead well
Graham and Lesley
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