Strategize To Succeed
PC401 – Start The Year At The Top

       Welcome back and happy new year as we move to the next episode of Strategize To Succeed™. Selectively applying the strategies which we discuss each week will help you as you progress from conditions to opportunities to successes.

       In today’s episode, we are addressing a subject which seems well-suited to start the new year. No, resolutions are not on the agenda, although you could certainly convert this strategy into one of your resolutions. Let’s focus on the subject of power, and its application can be your choice. Before you make any snap judgments though as to which type of power is your favorite, next week we will hone in on the power strategy which I think can serve each of us well in life’s various situations.

       So, as you surmised, our topic this week is types of power. Power strategies which individuals use can be applied either consciously or unconsciously and, as we are all well aware, for good or bad purposes.

       Gaining, keeping, and wanting power is a complicated issue. It can be perceived as a benefit or opportunity which most people believe that they want. That is because power is often viewed as synonymous with control, and having control is often regarded as a symbol of freedom. Freedom, of course, is the primary entitlement which individuals universally strive to achieve. 

       The problem with power is that in order for a person to have it, there is at least one other person who is deprived of it in a specific situation. That is simply the nature of the structure. Often the person with the power is also in a leadership role, but this need not be the case. Keep in mind that it is impossible to have 10 people in a room, all working together and all with equal power over the same situation at the same moment, with the same responsibilities. That is not to say that power cannot be shared or delegated. But, in that case, the power umbrella, if you will, must be clearly divided up into portions based on different tasks or skills. 

      The bottom line is that in order for power to exist, there needs to be those individuals associated with the activity who do not have power, either to make decisions on an issue or to exercise any choice in the matter. The result is that the use and application of power may actually be interpreted as exercising a form of persuasion.

      There are five forms of power which were identified by social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven in 1959. Subsequently, in 1965, Raven determined that it was necessary to add a sixth form of power, which has since been integrated into many discussions about power.

       These power categories are still accepted today. And, as we review them individually, you will likely recognize events, and perhaps even people in your life who exemplify the use of differing types of power for persuasion. As with every approach, some areas you will endorse, and others will be less to your liking.

       Summarized from the article “French and Raven’s Forms of Power: A Simple Summary” by the World of Work Project (worldofwork.io/2019/08/french-and-raven), alphabetically, the first form of power is coercion. There is nothing warm and fuzzy about this type of power. It is all about the ability to punish someone else when they refuse to submit to the wishes of the one in power. Of course, the more power held by the individual in charge, the more extreme the level of coercion may become. Success with exerting this type of power extends only to the minimum level of compliance; it would be unrealistic to expect that the subject would make any additional effort to please the one in power. As you can imagine, resentment is a likely response, along with an eagerness to remove oneself from the situation. And, abuse of the power is a frequent by-product of applying coercive techniques. 

       Expert power is a very individualized form of power. It is not dependent on one’s position, status or any mantle of success. To have expert power means that the mantle of power has been placed on the shoulders of any person who has a level of expertise in the subject area of concern. Being an expert can apply to a doctor of molecular biology, or equally to a 15 year old snowboarder. The point is that each has their own area of knowledge, with its own skillset and its own standards. It is as a result of such expertise that others view them with trustworthiness. Such expert status is the basis for developing an expert’s level of influence and development of power. The downside of this type of power is that once an expert fails in their sustained effort to maintain success or, it has been determined that an expert’s behavior is attributable to their seeking personal gain, the trust and ability to influence will diminish, along with the resulting power.

       The third type of power is legitimate power. It is based strictly on external circumstances. As the name suggests, legitimate power comes most often as a result of legislative decree. Governmental rules dictate the creation of legitimate power. The individuals holding such power have the ability to influence the surrounding society and are empowered by the laws in place. Reciprocity is frequently the currency used in conjunction with legitimate power. However, once an individual’s term in office comes to an end, or there is another way in which their position is terminated, it is also a common occurrence that their power ceases.

       The next type of power is referent power. This type of power is more strongly based on the individual’s personality, as opposed to their professional credentials. The individual with referent power is not dependent on their position or skills to enhance their power quotient. Instead, they are highly regarded and respected based on their personal qualities and worthiness. The person with such power is also perceived as being charismatic and someone with whom others like to associate. I would tend to expect that one who is strong in referent power is also probably strong in what are termed the softer skills, such as empathy, teamwork and communications. However, it is often believed that an individual with referent power does not hold as much power in the workplace environment.

      The last of the original five forms of power identified by French and Raven is reward power. As the name indicates, this type of power comes from one’s ability to offer a benefit for another’s performance. Although reward power may sound like a favorable situation, it is really quite similar to coercive power. In both instances, there is no real incentive for subjects to perform at any level above the absolute minimum. Those advocating reward power will likely receive just enough of a response to qualify the behavior for the established reward. But there is no demonstrated loyalty to perform at a level beyond the pre-determined requisite. And it is unlikely that reward power can sustain the level of reward which is necessary to continue incrementally greater performance. In fact, at a certain point, the concept of a reward is likely to morph into a sense of entitlement, which of course defeats the entire purpose of the approach.

       The sixth form of power, which Raven believed was necessary to add, was informational power. Although 1965 was still significantly ahead of the general usage and reliance on the computer and its derivative forms of communications, the fact is that Raven was quite accurate, I believe, in including informational power as a category. Raven recognized the power that is found in the ability to influence others by the ability to disseminate or withhold information. Consider the category of social influencers. By their very name, this new category of individuals gathers or generates information which they then offer to others who, over time, become their followers. The followers, if they accept the information as worthwhile, then give credibility and acceptance to the influencers, making them more powerful. The basis for the accumulation of power in this category is that the influencer uses information which is thought to be of value or interest to others. However, if the information is not timely or of interest, there is no creation of power in the individual offering to provide it to others. 

       Moving beyond the category of social influencer, the important aspect found in the power of information is not usually in the information itself. The most important element, which creates a situation of power, is what is done with the information. Keep in mind that information alone has the power to harm people, cure people, injure people, frighten people, relieve people, and so much more. But it is how the information is handled and used that makes the difference in the outcome and controls the scenario. 

       Of course, you are likely well aware that there is a profusion of quotations about power. And I have selected two which seem to work well together. By the way, please understand that my approach is gender neutral, but I am not taking liberties with the quotations. The first is by Plato. “The measure of a man is what he does with power.” And the second quotation is by Elie Weisel. “Ultimately, the only power to which man should aspire is that which he exercises over himself.”

      So, as we begin another year, it would seem like the appropriate time to commit to taking power over yourself and applying it in your approach to life.

      Next week, we will continue to discuss types of power and which forms of power may be most helpful to you.

       Thank you for sharing your time today. Remember, your application of strategic decision-making approaches can result in more beneficial outcomes for you, both professionally and personally. Why not turn that process into your opportunity?  

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