I know first hand that Sarah Palin
can be ballsy. My husband and I met her in a February in Alaska
when Sarah was confronting every US oil company to let them know
that Alaska expected the companies to support her state’s plan
for a gas pipeline and more. She made her command clear just as
she did in her administration. In a constituency of 500,000 she
was truly in charge.
Alas, her clear dominance as a governor did not translate into
the staying power to hang in when the going got tough. The going
got tough for her in reputation, lawsuits, family privacy and
innuendo. So she did something almost few men have ever done –
quit her office before the end of her term. Yes, she can now
legally make money from her speeches. She has time to write the
book that just got her an $11 million publishing advance. She
may even have time to rebut her grandchild’s fathers’ book also
about to come out. And all that to walk away from those who
elected her?
When the going gets tough, the tough have to hang in there and
write their books while doing their jobs. That’s what ghost
writers are for. As a leader, you need to be able juggle many
priorities. She wanted to be a barracuda on the state-wide, and
maybe country-wide, basketball court. What she became was a drop
out.
Good
Leadership is the Wise Use of Power
Niccolo Machiavelli is infamous
for writing, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts
absolutely.” His observations of the sixteenth century Italian
Medici court helped him truly understand how often power is
misused. Yet he also believed that, with wise use of power,
leaders can generate great visions that stir the souls of
others.
You cannot ignore the issue of power as a leader. On a basic
level, you simply have it, because you get to make decisions and
influence outcomes for others. That is not inherently a good or
bad thing, just a fact. The real issue is how you put that power
to use. People often think of power in negative terms since
power is easy to abuse. Being in charge certainly does require
you to take firm control. The key, however, is to do so with
benign or positive intent toward your followers, rather than
narcissistic self interest
Some of us love the idea of power and jump to take charge.
Others are more reluctant to flex our muscles. What we all have
in common is the duty to learn to use power wisely, balancing
any natural tendencies to over- or underuse it. Used to maximum
effect, your leadership power will empower your organization and
its employees. Used carelessly, it will disempower them, by
making them wait for you to make decisions or by creating fear
of disapproval.
You’ll know how you are using the power available to you by
observing your own behavior and getting feedback from others.
Use the following chart to help you think about this. Ask
yourself which column you fall into for each issue. Be honest!
Then ask yourself if that is who you want to be as a leader. If
you don’t like what you see on the chart, start thinking about
what you need to do in order to change. That self-awareness is
the first step to becoming a wise leader.
Underuse of Power Wise
Use of Power Abuse of Power
Wants someone else to make decisions
Enjoys taking control to ensure the best
results but will let others take the lead when they can
Wants to make all decisions and have the
last word.
Moves at own speed, not checking with
others
Influences others
Vetoes others’ decisions
Won’t set specific expectations/standards
Creates consistency and standards
Demands perfection as the only option
Hates politics; avoids dealing with
conflict
Uses politics and relationships to
support ideas
Manipulates politics to drive own agenda
People who under use their
power tend to want someone else to make decisions; they move at
their own measured or slow speed without consulting others; or
they hate to “play politics.” In relation to their followers,
they may be reluctant to set expectations and deadlines, give
tough feedback, or move people out when they’re not right for a
role.
Abuse of power occurs when a leader demands constant
recognition, perfection, and work done his or her way. Abuse
gets even easier to recognize when leaders use power to demand
special perks for themselves.
For the wise and moderate use of power you need to set high, but
reachable goals and enjoy being in charge and influencing
others. It’s even better when you use your power to set broad
organizational goals which you then translate into specific
actions. It’s also useful to put in place some consistency and
standards which help to sort out organizational politics since
that will lead to fewer special favors.
The good of the organization should always be at the heart of
what you do. For some people, that will mean speaking up and
pushing people in a way that goes against their nature. For
others, it means subduing their natural urge to just take charge
and pull others in their wake. Finding the right balance will
ensure that employees feel secure and cared for as they rise to
the challenges of organizational life.
Although you may have basic power automatically through your
title, true power can only be bestowed on you by the people you
lead. Real power comes from your staff believing in your
expertise, and trusting you as a leader, while knowing that you
have the clout to get things done on their behalf. This makes
them want to follow you. In a virtuous circle, the more that
people want to follow you the more power you have.
No matter what kind of organization you lead, it’s how you use
power that distinguishes your leadership tenure.
CITIZENS FOR
AFFORDABLE
ENERGY
www.CitizensForAffordableEnergy.org
The Four Mores:
Educating citizens and
government officials about
pragmatic, non-partisan
affordable energy solutions,
Environmental Protection, energy
alternatives, efficiency,
infrastructure, public policy,
competitiveness, social
cohesion, and quality of life.
Vital Voices Global Partnership
believes in the transformative
value of women's participation
in society. We invest in
emerging women leaders -
pioneers of economic
development, political
participation, and human rights
in their countries - and we help
them build the capabilities,
connections, and credibility
they need to unlock their
potential as catalysts of global
progress.
To
fulfill our mission, we build
leadership capacity, facilitate
strategic partnerships,
recognize women leading change
and enhance their credibility,
and foster global connections
among women.
Our Global Leadership Network of
women has become the vital
voices of our time.
TAHIRIH WINS 2007 WASHINGTON POST
AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN
NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT
The mission of the
Tahirih Justice
Center is to enable women and girls who face gender based
violence to access justice. The Center engages in direct
litigation, public policy advocacy, and education and outreach
to ensure systematic change that protects women and girls from
violence.
•
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