What is power anyway?
In this series of blog posts I unpack what’s going on with power dynamics and how we can navigate the shifting landscape with confidence.
As 2024 unfolds I’ve noticed that power is very much on our minds. There is an obvious struggle for formal power in this crucial election year that dominates the news. Some of my clients are struggling with the shifting power dynamic between employees and leadership as we renegotiate work from home options. Women dance around power, alternatively making it their own and backing away from it. So, what is power anyway? And how can we navigate it with confidence?
It’s important to acknowledge that power doesn’t exist outside of your perception and the perception of others. Formal authority is granted through the process of elections, and interview panels. Informal authority is derived from how you are perceived by others. Power is a construct that depends on interactions and experiences with others. In day-to-day life, we have choices about how to navigate those interactions.
In addition to power derived from title or position, power from one’s leadership style is another important perspective to cultivate. I often tell clients that leaders create the weather. How do you create the weather as a leader? By pulling the levers in your control that affect the environment people experience when they interact with you. Those levers include what you reward and celebrate. The way you decide to share information, are you generous or stingy? When do you decide to correct or override a decision? How’s the weather in the environment you are creating for your teams?
Another form of power derives from the relationships and networks we participate in. Reputation is the currency of power in relationships. What kind of reputation have you cultivated across your networks? Are you a connector, facilitating relationships? Do you share your expertise with your networks? What is the balance of give and take you bring to your networks?
Finally, power requires followers. Whether you are trying to bring someone around to your point of view about a policy matter or lead a dynamic change in your organization, you need others to understand and buy into your point of view. Power is dependent on perception, the direct experience of your leadership, and how you hold resources such as networks and information. Regardless of how brilliant your idea is or how important the decision in front of you, the perceptions about how you manage power can outweigh the outcome.
As you consider power in your own roles and responsibilities ask yourself these questions:
Where does my power come from? Formal or informal? Expertise? Relationships? Reputation?
What would your team say about the weather you create?
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about anna & executive horizons
Anna Alvarez Boyd, is the founder of Executive Horizons LLC, a consulting and leadership coaching business. Anna brings over 30 years of experience as a trusted senior leader to her clients. Her coaching starts with the belief that every individual is talented, creative, and whole. She supports clients to deeper self-discovery, through a unique, tailored approach for each person that includes skill building, reflective practices and leadership development.