2008 News Release
Eight Ways to Use Your Power Wisely at Work
To be effective, leaders should tap into a variety of power sources on the job, CCL research suggests
December 11, 2008 - Greensboro, NC - Many talented senior executives admit to feeling a sense of powerlessness at work. But there are steps they can take to regain control, according to new research from the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®), a top-ranked global leadership education and research organization.
A sense of powerlessness is understandable "due to the nature of today's complex matrix organizations," says CCL researcher Vidula Bal, lead author of a new Ideas Into Action Study titled The Role of Power in Effective Leadership. "As organizations become more global, individuals must lead and manage around the world. Their teams are dispersed, and they often have to lead using influence rather than the formal unilateral decision-making authority used in days past."
Defining power simply as "the potential to influence others," Bal and co-author Michael Campbell at CCL's Colorado Springs campus surveyed 260 executives about the nature of power at work. They conclude, "leaders at all levels have access to power, but that power often goes unrecognized or underutilized." While most leaders surveyed (94 percent) rated themselves as moderately to extremely powerful at work, 41 percent indicated that they would feel more powerful if they had "more formal authority" on the job.
Pick Your Power Source
"When most people think about power, their minds go immediately to the control that high-level leaders exert from their positions atop the organizational hierarchy," Campbell explains. "But power extends far beyond the formal authority that comes from having a title or a corner office with a view."
The authors contend that to be effective in the future, leaders should embrace sources of power other than the power of position, such as the power of relationships, the power of information and the power of expertise. These are the top three power sources that survey respondents consider to be most critical to leverage over the next five years.
Eighty-nine percent of those surveyed think relationship power is most critical, followed by the power of information (57 percent). The power of punishment, cited by only 3 percent of respondents, is considered the least critical source of power to leverage.
Based on their research, CCL's Bal and Campbell suggest the following strategies for leveraging power in order to lead effectively now and in the future:
- Make relationships a priority. Invest time and energy into your existing relationships and the image others may have of you. Also repair damaged relationships, work at understanding others better and acknowledging their needs.
- Don't overplay your personal agenda. The power of relationships is an effective way to promote your own agenda, but it also risks having others perceive you as self-serving and not a team player. Take care to ensure that advancing your agenda is not seen as a misuse of power.
- Maximize your communication network. Consider the people you communicate with most. Is the information they're providing you unique or redundant? Expand your network and find people who may be untapped sources of information.
- Be generous with information. Hiding information can have negative consequences, so share information broadly and with integrity. However, don't make the opposite mistake and pass on information that's confidential or too personal.
- Be the expert. You can't have power unless there are people who perceive you as having power. To be viewed as having authentic "expert" power, be open about your experience, credentials and expertise.
- Reward with words. Give positive feedback often. CCL's experience with leaders across industries shows a ratio of four positives to every negative for a receiver to think feedback has been fair. This ratio illustrates the importance of praising the good deeds.
- Punish with purpose. In today's complex global organizations, many employees are frustrated by the lack of accountability at all levels. When team members fail to meet expectations, corrective (but kind) feedback works wonders. Be explicit about consequences for behavior or results that fall short, and follow through consistently.
- Teach others. Leverage your full power without hoarding it. If you want to empower the people you lead, teach them to use the power available to them.
About the Research
During a five month period in 2007, CCL surveyed 260 participants in several of its educational programs via computer kiosk during their week in class and via a voluntary Internet survey that had more qualitative questions two weeks following their classroom work. The authors recorded their findings in a white paper that's posted in the Faculty & Research section of the CCL Web site. Finally, some observations about power and leadership also were drawn from training more than 20,000 leaders each year.
About the Contributors
Vidula Bal is a senior enterprise associate at the Colorado Springs campus of the Center for Creative Leadership. She facilitates a variety of open-enrollment programs, designs and delivers custom programs and conducts research on stress, power and team effectiveness. She holds a Ph.D. in communication from the University of Texas at Austin.
Michael Campbell is a senior research analyst at CCL's Colorado Springs campus. He conducts research on talent management and succession, management and manages CCL's leadership assessment database. He holds a B.S. in business and marketing from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
About the Center for Creative Leadership
The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) is a top-ranked, global provider of executive education that accelerates strategy and business results by unlocking the leadership potential of individuals and organizations. Founded in 1970, CCL offers an array of research-based programs, products and services for leaders at all levels. Ranked among the world's Top 10 providers of executive education by Bloomberg BusinessWeek and the Financial Times, CCL is headquartered in Greensboro, NC, with offices in Colorado Springs, CO; San Diego, CA; Brussels; Moscow; Singapore; New Delhi - NCR, India and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Its work is supported by 500 faculty members and staff.
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