If You Want to Change the World, You Need Power: Part 2

 

This is the second part of the article why you need power if you want to change the world. The first part can be read here.

You can also view the video of both the parts on youtube, by clicking the given links - Part 1  & Part 2

In the first part, we discussed the importance of ambition, confidence. We also highlighted the role of persistence, energy. Finally, assess the contributions of empathy, honesty, acceptance.

Here we discuss the more general, external factors that we should pay attention to gain power. 

Structural power

There are two major categories of the sources of power needed to change lives, organisations. The first category is personal power which ha been discussed in the first part of this article. The second category is the structural source of power where you are in an organisation and what resources you control.

Cultivate your network

The network of personal relationship and your position in the network is an important source of power. Many people do not invest time managing these relationships that help them get things done. 

You need the collaboration and cooperation of others with whom you need to build relationships.

Invest a lot of time, contributing and making yourself central in your network. When the information flows through you, you control the information and influence. We spend the most time in our network and they also tend to know what we know. Hence it is important to develop connections outside our network, like different industry, market, area, organisations etc., who provide new information and contact. 

Maintain relationships

Many a time people lose power as they become over-confident, stop doing things that got them to this position of power. It also results in being not as polite as they were, not keeping your superiors adequately informed. maintaining power is exhausting and to sustain it you must pay proper care in maintaining relationships.

Differentiate yourself

If you do a good job and not antagonise anyone you may be fine but does not help you become powerful. You have to differentiate yourself in terms of the skillset, contributions, capabilities. You need to get noticed.

Become less judgemental

Judgement is the source of all unhappiness in peoples' lives. Stop being judgemental and become curious. Ask questions to identify the reason for what is happening. Why is it that a less competent person is succeeding in his career? learn from them, from what they are doing right and adapt it where necessary. Become more clinical, less judgemental.

Think strategically

Be as strategic as businesses are. 

• What are you trying to achieve? 
• What do you need to achieve it? 
• Who do you want to be on your side and help you? 
• How do you get them to your side? 
• What resources do you need? 

This is neither immoral nor moral. It is thoughtful and understanding human behaviour.

Seek power and live longer!

The world is hierarchical. The higher you go the narrower the hierarchy. There is inevitably competition for advancement and it is better to be a winner. 

If you have technical skills without influence skills you will get nowhere. If you have influence skills but no technical skills you will end up doing the wrong things. So you need both.

The power and influence you acquire would help change lives for better. Power to the extent it is used for job control leads to a healthy and longer life. many people see the absence of power as stressful which is bad for health. So seek power and influence to bring good to others. 

If You Want to Change the World, You Need Power: Part 2

Jeffrey Pfeffer MITSMR