Power is an important part of the world we live in. In order to turn on the lights you need power. If you want your car to move you need to give it power. The German band Snap said it best and subsequently had the world singing along with their 1990's hit single "I Got the Power". You either have it or it has you, but we all work around power.
If we are all surrounded by power and power drives our high-tech world why does the word power sometimes come with a negative connotation? Lord Acton is credited with the famous saying, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely". Do we choose whether or not we use power in a positive or negative way? Are those who use power for personal gain innately evil people?
I believe, in the simplest terms, power is that ability to make things go. In the work place power gets things done, drives mission statements forward, and directs people. For me, I have used whatever power I have been given (power is like energy... neither created or destroyed, only transformed) to help others accomplish their goals or purpose. I see power as synonymous with leadership. You use power to move people towards something. You lead people towards something. Power without people is pointless just as leadership by yourself is pointless.
I am definitely fine with the quest for power. In a capitalistic society power is influence. How one attains power is the issue. Those who have power are seldom quick to give it up, and those who hunger for the power will do almost anything to get it. This is, in my opinion, where the ethical and moral aspects of attaining power come into play. You either want the power for your own advancement, or you want the power to help others. Either way, there is a great responsibility that comes with actually having power over others.
In Whetton and Cameron's book Developing management Skills they discuss some characteristics of power in the individual. Being likeable seems to be an important aspect to the authors, and I feel I fair pretty well in this category. I support open and honest relationships, am fairly social, would do just about anything for someone I care about, and am supportive of others. These characteristics may help to define what your core competencies are and offer a glimpse into the type of person you may be if given the power. Genuinely caring for others is an important aspect of a leaders, which in the end is usually a person with some form of power over others. The person should be respectable by others if the power is to be respected in turn.
Working under those with power is also and important aspect of our society. How we deal with or work with those with power can make or break us. Learning your boss' management style, goals, pressures they are dealing with, and so on can help you understand them as a person. This understanding is valuable to work well with someone and efficiently at that. You must also know your own strengths and weaknesses, preferences, and limits. How do you handle authority in others, or yourself? Will you make the right decisions if given a little of the power to make choices?
Overall, power is portrayed by the individual who has it. It can be used for good or bad. Power can help propel people forward or hold them back. Instead of focusing on gaining power I choose to focus on building a better me, so when that opportunity comes I will be better prepared to use the power for a greater purpose. Someone once said it is lonely at the top. Well, with the right concept of power you could easily surround yourself with those you have helped up along the way. Keeping the concept of power in check can help disprove Lord Acton. We need more responsible leaders wielding power for the mutual benefit of those who helped attain it.
JP
If we are all surrounded by power and power drives our high-tech world why does the word power sometimes come with a negative connotation? Lord Acton is credited with the famous saying, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely". Do we choose whether or not we use power in a positive or negative way? Are those who use power for personal gain innately evil people?
I believe, in the simplest terms, power is that ability to make things go. In the work place power gets things done, drives mission statements forward, and directs people. For me, I have used whatever power I have been given (power is like energy... neither created or destroyed, only transformed) to help others accomplish their goals or purpose. I see power as synonymous with leadership. You use power to move people towards something. You lead people towards something. Power without people is pointless just as leadership by yourself is pointless.
I am definitely fine with the quest for power. In a capitalistic society power is influence. How one attains power is the issue. Those who have power are seldom quick to give it up, and those who hunger for the power will do almost anything to get it. This is, in my opinion, where the ethical and moral aspects of attaining power come into play. You either want the power for your own advancement, or you want the power to help others. Either way, there is a great responsibility that comes with actually having power over others.
In Whetton and Cameron's book Developing management Skills they discuss some characteristics of power in the individual. Being likeable seems to be an important aspect to the authors, and I feel I fair pretty well in this category. I support open and honest relationships, am fairly social, would do just about anything for someone I care about, and am supportive of others. These characteristics may help to define what your core competencies are and offer a glimpse into the type of person you may be if given the power. Genuinely caring for others is an important aspect of a leaders, which in the end is usually a person with some form of power over others. The person should be respectable by others if the power is to be respected in turn.
Working under those with power is also and important aspect of our society. How we deal with or work with those with power can make or break us. Learning your boss' management style, goals, pressures they are dealing with, and so on can help you understand them as a person. This understanding is valuable to work well with someone and efficiently at that. You must also know your own strengths and weaknesses, preferences, and limits. How do you handle authority in others, or yourself? Will you make the right decisions if given a little of the power to make choices?
Overall, power is portrayed by the individual who has it. It can be used for good or bad. Power can help propel people forward or hold them back. Instead of focusing on gaining power I choose to focus on building a better me, so when that opportunity comes I will be better prepared to use the power for a greater purpose. Someone once said it is lonely at the top. Well, with the right concept of power you could easily surround yourself with those you have helped up along the way. Keeping the concept of power in check can help disprove Lord Acton. We need more responsible leaders wielding power for the mutual benefit of those who helped attain it.
JP
