How consciously are you using your power?

In his memoir Optimism, Bob Brown recalls his meetings with the two major political party leaders after the 2010 election, when Bob was the Leader of the Australian Greens.

The election was highly contested: with 72 seats won by each of the major parties, neither could form government without additional support from the Independents and/or the Greens. With this in mind, it’s interesting to note the way that each of the party leaders engaged with Bob as a potential ally. Leader A remained seated when Bob entered their office, feet up on the coffee table that divided them, and showed little interest in finding common ground. In contrast, Leader B shared a Chinese takeaway and glass of red with Bob, talking through policies that they could bring forward to mutual benefit.

Two leaders, two very different approaches to wielding their positional and personal power.

How aware are you of the power that you exert, and how it impacts others? And how does others’ use of power make you feel – helpless and drained, enraged and belittled, or energised and proactive?

Until recently, what I knew about my own and others’ use of power I’d learned largely through osmosis. I could talk in vague terms about what power was, but I didn’t have the framework to describe the types of power I possessed, and I certainly didn’t use conscious strategies to help shape my use of power in the workplace.

This meant I learned a lot when I completed The Expert Leader’s WISE Leadership - Conscious Use of Power program. The program is run over two days separated by a few weeks, providing time in between to attend a one-on-one session with a coach to drill down on the things that are personal to your power.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the program was hearing the other participants’ thoughts and experiences. We were an eclectic bunch, and people’s stories illustrated the way you can leverage all sorts of power to get the best outcome for you and your organisation.

If I could sum up the main benefit of the program to myself, I would say that it helped me to become more comfortable with the idea of power. I now see the word ‘power’ as a neutral – rather than negative – term. I can see how power can be used ethically and effectively, and I have a clearer idea of the sources of power that I can leverage. Most importantly, I better understand the ways I can combat uses of power by others if they don’t serve me well - which should minimise the stress and energy drain that some power displays have caused me.

Power is for everyone, and I don’t think that there is a wrong time in your career to learn more about it - it is always wise to take time to reflect how your experience and use of power is impacting on your work.

Bob Brown’s story of the 2010 election raises some interesting questions around the use of power by political leaders. Most people assume that the arrogant, domineering power style displayed by Leader A is a necessity in politics, but this story proves that’s not always the case. Thanks to a working relationship formed in a more collegiate environment, the Australian Greens put their support behind Party B to form government. How much did Leader A’s studied arrogance, shoes on the coffee table, and lack of simple courtesies impact on their ability to form government in 2010? I guess we’ll never know.

If you're interested in understanding more about your personal power and how to use it with purpose in the workplace - our next intake for the program starts Friday 14 February with a follow-up session on Thursday 20 May.

More details on the program are available on the website or contact us directly to reserve your spot. info@theexpertleader.com