Power Hungry?

In my research to study out the different types of power, I stumbled upon Gina Abudi, a professional speaker and management consultant for Intuit.  She describes 5 different types of power and divides them into two groups as follows:

◦       Formal Power

o   Coercive- Coercive power is conveyed through fear of losing one’s job, being demoted, receiving a poor performance review, having prime projects taken away, etc. This power is gotten through threatening others. For example, the VP of Sales who threatens sales folks to meet their goals or get replaced.

o   Reward- Reward power is conveyed through rewarding individuals for compliance with one’s wishes. This may be done through giving bonuses, raises, a promotion, extra time off from work, etc. For example, the supervisor who provides employees comp time when they meet an objective she sets for a project.

o   Legitimate- Legitimate power comes from having a position of power in an organization, such as being the boss or a key member of a leadership team. This power comes when employees in the organization recognize the authority of the individual. For example, the CEO who determines the overall direction of the company and the resource needs of the company.

◦       Personal Power

o   Expert- Expert power comes from one’s experiences, skills or knowledge. As we gain experience in particular areas, and become thought leaders in those areas, we begin to gather expert power that can be utilized to get others to help us meet our goals. For example, the Project Manager who is an expert at solving particularly challenging problems to ensure a project stays on track.

o   Referent- Referent power comes from being trusted and respected.  We can gain referent power when others trust what we do and respect us for how we handle situations. For example, the Human Resource Associate who is known for ensuring employees are treated fairly and coming to the rescue of those who are not.                                                                      (http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/2011/08/26/the-5-types-of-power-in-leadership/#sthash.IU3Pdk1.dpuf)

 Strategies to increase my personal power base:

•  Have clear goals and ensure that your team has a clear understanding of those goals.
• Practice what you preach.
• Look for strengths and weaknesses in others (and yourself) and delegate appropriately.
• Care for and respect those on my team.  As well, earn and deserve respect from your team, I believe this will foster care from your team as well.
• Be honest.
• Be happy, I find that people want to follow someone who is happy and passionate about what they are doing.
• Praise good work publicly, give constructive criticism privately.
• Don’t gossip.

Thoughts about power and how it is used:

I believe we have seen through history what power can do, both positively and negatively.  I believe we should use whatever power we are given or attain to uplift those around us.  Be the type of leader that others WANT to follow.  With power we can also empower others to fulfill their potential, and be an example to those around us.