MO CL 19 Power

Grant Reading on Power

• Power amplifies your pre-existing traits—it exacerbates your true self and intentions

• When people are powerful, they’re more likely to express their own opinions than conforming. They’re more likely to bargain their way instead of adapting

• Power doesn’t corrupt ordinary people, it corrupts people who already lean towards corruption (Stanford prison case study where people who were drawn to it had more tendencies of agressiveness)

• Nixon was almost disbarred for unethical practices, then his power as president amplified that part of him. On the other hand, Lincoln’s power amplified his humility

• If power reveals character, organizations should focus on assessing integrity, empathy, and values before granting authority, which means shifting the focus from “can they lead” to “who will they be as a leader”

  • Looking at how candidates treat people without power (e.g., assistants, interns).

  • Evaluating their behavior in low-stakes situations, where they’re less likely to be performing.

  • Prioritizing emotional intelligence and moral reasoning over charisma or technical skills.

  • Using 360-degree feedback and long-term observation to understand how someone behaves across contexts.

• Believing that power corrupts can lead to the idea that anyone who gains power will inevitably become unethical. This can:

  • Discourage good people from pursuing leadership roles.

  • Justify bad behavior as an unavoidable consequence of power.

  • Undermine efforts to hold leaders accountable by treating corruption as inevitable.

Sources of Power (French & Raven)

*might ask how to differentiate between informational and expert power

Positional Power

• Legitimate: agreement that people in specific positions can request behavior from others (ex. your mom). You feel that you have to obey the person. Established through job titles, publicly discuss responsibilities

• Reward: ability to offer valued incentives to others in exchange for their actions (pay, recognition, affection, promotion). Established through team roles, publicly complimenting performance

• Coercive: using threat of punishment to force someone to act (Ex-Volkswagen CEO making grown men cry). Established by demonstrating a willingness to punish others, emotional displays of intimidation

Personal Power

• Expert: capacity to influence others by possessing knowledge or skills they value (ex. Warren Buffet) established by demonstrating expertise, displaying credentials, using lingo

• Referent: Capacity to influence others through identification with and respect for the power holder. People you admire (Ex. Andy Stanley, MLK Jr). Established through developing relationships, creating community with others, demonstrating charisma, integrity

• Information: ability to withhold, share (or even distort/manipulate) valued information. Ex. Elon Mulsk. Established through building relationships with key figures, participating in disc. about key information, following industry data/trends

Influence

Behavioral attempts to affect others’ thoughts, feelings, behaviors. Influence is the mechanism by which we use power.

Org. Politics

A variety of activities associated with the use of influence tactics to achieve personal or organizational goals (why and where we use power).

Organizational Politics is the reality that emerges when people with different goals interact.