#Power to the people program how to#
#Power to the people program full#

Seek to understand others better and acknowledge others’ needs to build the social capital required to influence others now and in the future. Therefore, identify the people with whom you need to establish or develop a relationship, and invest time and energy into your existing relationships. Make relationships a priority. Your ability to use the power of relationships will be compromised if you’re not connecting with the right people. Here are some strategies for leveraging power in leadership effectively:ġ.

#Power to the people program how to#

How to Leverage Power and Leadership EffectivelyĪll in all, our research findings suggest that leaders can be more effective when they emphasize the power of relationships and the power of information, and also develop their other available bases of power. The power to reward others is the ability to recognize or reward individuals for adhering to standards or expectations.The power of punishment is the ability to sanction individuals for failure to conform to standards or expectations.The power of expertise is the influence that comes from developing and communicating specialized knowledge (or the perception of knowledge).The power of information is the control that’s generated through the use of evidence deployed to make an argument.The power of relationships is the influence that leaders gain through their formal and informal networks both inside and outside of their organizations.The power of charisma is the influence that’s generated by a leader’s style or persona.The power of position is the formal authority that derives from a person’s title or position in a group or an organization.Previous research has identified 7 bases of power that leaders may leverage: Leaders at all levels have access to power, but that power often goes unrecognized or underutilized. But power extends far beyond the formal authority that comes from a title (or from having a corner office with a view). When most people think about power, they immediately think about the control that high-level leaders exert from their positions atop the organizational hierarchy. This leaves the definition of appropriate and effective use of power largely up to individual leaders.

Organizations also reward leaders who empower the people they lead, thereby encouraging overall employee empowerment however, fewer organizations fully leverage opportunities to teach leaders how to effectively use their power for the greater good of the organization. However, flatter organizational structures and self-directed work teams are becoming more commonplace, which may increase the level of empowerment that employees experience in future years. These organizational trends relative to power and leadership suggest that while power isn’t typically misused by top leaders, it does tend to be concentrated on a select few individuals.

#Power to the people program full#

More than half stated that power is concentrated among a few select individuals in their organization 28% of survey participants agreed that power is misused by top leaders within their organizations and only 29% believed that their organizations teach their leaders how to effectively leverage their full power.

In fact, nearly 60% of survey respondents reported they believe that their organizations work to empower their people at all levels, and 53% of those surveyed agreed that their organization rewards leaders for empowering people. We surveyed participants who attended our senior executive leadership development programs, and the data we found indicated some tensions around leadership and the distribution of power. We conducted a research study to better understand how leaders use power and how individuals and organizations can improve their leadership through the effective use of power. While an individual may exert power without being a leader, an individual can’t be a leader without having power. The concepts of power and leadership are interconnected.