Volumes have been written about power in the workplace. Power is an interesting phenomenon. It controls every conscious and subconscious act of ours. In today’s world, “survival of the fittest” has somehow become synonymous with evolution. Physical and material dominance have become synonymous with advanced evolution. We’re all conditioned to seek survival at any cost, and acquire power by any means. By power, I mean anything that can be acquired from an external source and thus can be taken away or lost. It can mean all sorts of things ranging from beauty, strength, agility of mind and money to the sheer physical dominance that one country or group of people can have over another. All of these are external powers. It is the luck of the draw that determines if and when you acquire such powers. In addition to randomness in the way external power is distributed, there are other problems with it.
External Power, Fear and Vulnerability
Perceptions of Power
External power can cause grief, violence and destruction, if not wielded properly. This is not to say that you should shun external power. Recognize it for its worthlessness and give it the appropriate place in your life. Acquire as much as you can of it, without surrendering any of your truly valuable possessions.
True Power
3 Kinds of Power at Workplace
Of the many types of power in the workplace, three stand out. First is the power of authority. This is the power that comes to you by virtue of your position. It is the power “over” others. It is the power given to the few by the many. Second is the power of knowledge. This is the power that accrues within individuals who have possession of unique information. The third type of power is the power from relationships. We may respond to an authority figure out of fear. We may respond to an expert out of respect. But, there is nothing greater than the power of a request from a person about whom we care personally. Such is the power of relationships.
Questions for YOU –
Happy journeys! And, best wishes to you for your careers.
Reference: Srini Chandra (3 Lives, in search of bliss), Pinal Dave (https://blog.sqlauthority.com)
4 Comments. Leave new
“Know your power”, but how to generate these 3 kind of Powers, or it just gets created as an outcome of your character/possessions?
This book is already getting in to my list of books to read.
As per my experience good relationship — we learn new things with our team knowledge–authority automatically come..
Hi Sahal, that’s a fascinating question. How do we go about generating the various types of powers? There’s a “formula” for each type, I guess. Authority and knowledge come to mostly those who seek it. There are many books that talk about how to have successful careers. Entire MBA programs are built around training aspirants to become CEOs someday. I think where we stumble at times is in pursuing a certain type of power in a one dimensional manner. eg. ambitious people in pursuit of power of authority ruthlessly step on others in their haste and desire to get there. Often, it comes at the expense of knowledge and relationships. And so on.. I think you get the picture.
Take the case of Gandhiji. He acquired the power of relationship. He did not occupy a position of authority. Nor was he an expert in anything. He enjoyed the power that came from people trusting him to do the right thing. Whether he used that power well may be a matter for debate. But his life is an example of a person who instinctively understood the dynamics and value of various types of power and devised his own unique approach to them. Hope this was useful.
Very Interesting ..but never thought this way. For me it is relationship first and then knowledge that have been accumulated by me over the years, both in my family and work life..