Friday Freebie VIII: in positions of power remember to stay grounded.
Friday Freebie VIII: in positions of power remember to stay grounded. Lord Acton said “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”.
This week I heard about an older article from the Atlantic that mentioned research on how positions of power could impact the brain. Bradley Geary and Shawn Ryan spoke about checking ones growing influence- and power - for example having the inner circle call you by your first name, or having friends and family remind you that titles and pay aren’t who you are and don’t make you better or more important than anyone else. We are all people.
Being the boss isn’t the same as being a leader. Leaders understand the responsibility that comes with power and act with tact and grace. Most are given power by someone else which means Power is fleeting. Reputation is not. How you hold influence over others matters.
Keeping ego in check isn’t easy. In the case of the military, being called “Sir” all day and having a chain of command where folks down the chain aren’t allowed or have to tread very carefully to offer opposing views or disagree with your order for fear of punishment or claims of insubordination means you could end up failing because folks aren’t willing to risk it and help you- if feedback feels like contradiction to you - try to reframe - most times it’s not.
Being a Dad of young kids I frequently have to check myself to make sure I’m being as fair as possible. Think of the others perspective - it’s hard to be a kid with no say on much (bed time, dinner options, the plan for the day is dictated). It’s also hard to be a parent. When the kid pushes back the instinct is they’re questioning your authority and it’s a power struggle - when really it’s often nothing more than a preference or boundary test, which can be dealt with diplomatically.
As a corporate professional once we are given employees to manage or we start a company - we become the “boss” to some. It’s not easy. How we think or know things should be done will conflict with the team on occasion, sometimes they’re right sometimes not.
We won’t always get power dynamics right. Tact is key. Staying grounded is so important. Remember back to when you had a boss. It can be scary- they can fire you, demote you, cut pay. Fail to get power dynamics right and you’ll have a hard time getting results, keeping people, getting real feedback and get it right you’ll see people spreading the word of your great reign, staying late and working hard for you.
For those in positions of power - respect is key. For example, give folks a chance to give you feedback in a fashion, time, and manner you can handle - you’ll surely improve. Loyalty is earned not given. Respect is earned not given. Apologize when wrong, discuss and debrief, do the right thing.
Power can literally get to your head. Make sure you wield it well-it’s a privilege.
Cheers,
The One Vie Team
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/07/power-causes-brain-damage/528711/
