“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” ~ Lord Acton
Controlled businessman probably familiar with the above quote from Lord Acton. Unfortunately, there is much truth to his quote. One only has to look at the news headlines for the latest example of a leader who has misused power for his/her own personal gain.
A good friend of mine, who has spent his entire career developing other leaders, once shared a keen observation with me. He said that people who need to be in power probably shouldn’t be. His experience has been that those people who craved power, who had an inordinate desire to be in control, were the ones most likely to use power in unhealthy ways.
Of course my friend’s statement caused me to wrestle with the concept of power. Do I need to be in power? If so, why? Is it because of ego, status, or enjoyment of the privileges it affords? Is it a bad thing to want to be in power? Would I be unhappy or unfulfilled if I wasn’t in power? One question begets the next.
As I’ve pondered this question, the following ideas have become clearer to me:
1. The best use of power is in service to others: Being a servant leader, rather than a self-serving leader, means giving away my power to help other people achieve their personal goals, the objectives of the organization, and to allow them to reach their full expression and potential as individuals. I love the servant leadership example of Jesus. When two of his disciples came to him seeking positions of power and authority, he chastised them and challenged them to remember that “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.” (Mt. 20:26-27) One of the paradoxes of leadership is that by placing others before ourselves, and using our power to serve, rather than dominate, actually brings us more power, respect, commitment and loyalty.
2. Followership is just as important, if not more so, than leadership: Learning to be a good follower is an essential component of being a wise leader who uses power appropriately. A person who learns to submit to the authority of others, collaborate with teammates, and sees first-hand the good and bad effects of the use of power, will have a greater appreciation for how power should be used in relationships. We can all probably think of examples of people who were bestowed leadership positions without ever being a follower, who then went on a “power trip” and showed just how ill-prepared they were to handle the power given them. Followership is the training ground for leadership.
Continue to read more:- 4 Principles for Using Your Leadership Power
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