Tag Archives: personal power

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Power and Organization

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Organizational structures can be used to grant individuals a power base.  That is to say by dint of your location in the structure you have associated power to make decision and demand tasks (typically related to those lower in the structure than you.)

For example if you are granted the role of CEO in a corporation typically you would be near the top of the organization structure and have significant power associated with your role.

Power without Organizational Role

It is normal to have our individual power to provide direction and get things done enhanced by our organizational role but being a powerful leader is not dependent on it.

The power to get things done through and with others exists in all of us and while positional power is a nice boost sometimes the results of efforts derived from collaboration and  joint influences are far more rewarding.  And of better quality.

 Personal Power

Getting others to join you in doing things or behaving in a particular requires an exercise of your personal power.  Your capabilities ultimately depend on your own ability to influence and collaborate.

Leading purely using role based power seldom works effectively and has a high probability of failure.  Position based power usually relies on consequences over persuasion.

This consequence approach has limited value and duration.  Typically it is unsustainable.  Buy-in of others rarely stems from fear over the longer term.

The practise of personal power is a fine line between directive and collaborative methods and the right balance can produce amazing results.

 

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

The spirit is within you

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Your physical presence forms the baseline of your existence.  Your health is the framework on which your spirit relies. Spirit is  is the non-physical part of you, that is the seat of emotions and character; your soul.

Possibly more important to your overall well being than the physical is your spirit.  By their very nature our spirits can be indomitable.  That is impossible to subdue or defeat.

Leveraging Your Spirit

Physical strength and stamina set a baseline for your active abilities. Your spirit though is your true strength.  You can rely on your spirit to carry you through any circumstances.

Leveraging your spirit requires only recognition of it’s presence and a willingness to use it to support your actions, whether physical, mental or both.

Your spirit is the most powerful energy source you have. The key is believing in its existence, this is the first step to  accessing and then unleashing  the energy.

Focus on you.  Your personal spiritual engery is yours release and power your achievements.  The key to this power is its capability to enable you to be successful.

Your spirit is a force to be reckoned with, one that cannot be overcome and will serve only your purpose not that of others.  Your spirit is the energy within you and it is yours to weld.

Great Power

There is great power contained within your spirit.  Many do not use theirs to full effect, often because they do not realize what a great tool it is nor recognize what can be accomplished by harnessing its energy.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

The balance of Power

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On July 6th I explored the differences between positional(granted) and personal (earned power). This inluded a brief synopsis of the positive and negative aspects of each.

Today we will consider the best balance between these two types of power.  As a rule both are needed to achieve your goals; however, carefully exercising the most appropriate power lends the best effect.

Wrong power exercised badly

In the news recently was the successful challenge by aboriginal groups to the Canadian federal governments conditional approval to the Enbridge NorthWestern pipeline application.

In essence the Federal court ruled that because the federal government did not conduct meaningful consultation with the impacted groups (as reqiured by the environment act), the approval was invalid.

The reason the consultation was deemed inadequate – the government representatives had no positional or granted power and in essence were just note takers at the consultation.  They only had one type of power to wield (personal power) and the court ruled that was not enough.

So what is the right balance?

Granted power provides authority and empowers decision making .  Earned power relies on collaberation, all stakeholders input is leveraged.  There is no right mix of each of these power types, as their optimal usage is very dependent on situational context.

For example, consulting  for the government on environmental issues requires some authority in order to ensure meaningful and balanced consultation (or so the Federal court ruled).

What is the best way to determine which power to use and when and to what magnitude?  This requires a highly developed self awarness.  That is the key to balancing which power you use.

Consider the key stakeholders needs, your needs and organizational imperitives.  Past experience as to what has worked before is a valued input.

Most importantly though, be flexible.  As feedback is received and results begin to take form carefully monitor this and be ready to quickly change the balance from positional to personal power or vice-versa. to leverage positive developments and head off negative.