Power is a central theme in our lives yet it has something of a bad rap. With some regularity we see abuses of power – it being wielded in a self-serving and destructive way. Individually we can feel powerless in the face of external factors in the system whether that’s the State, the economy or the incredible forces of the natural world.
Some leaders at the highest levels in organisations may feel the pressure to use the power of their position to serve the perceived demands of shareholders and the ‘god’ of shareholder value rather than the interests of a wider stakeholder group. Often this leads to poor outcomes and is detrimental to at least some of the stakeholder constituency.
Leaders at other levels can feel less empowered, despite their hierarchical role, holding a mind-set that permission is needed before they can act.
All of these scenarios, and many others, substantially undermine the potential of individuals and the organisational collective to achieve their purpose. The thing is we tend to see power as a function of position. The higher the role in the hierarchy the greater the power. Yet we all have power irrespective of our role or place in the organisational hierarchy.
We all have access to the powerful combination of purpose, wise choice making and intention. Purpose provides our guidance system, defining what we are aiming for and, crucially, why.
‘I don’t have a choice’ is the oft heard refrain of those expressing powerlessness. The reality is we always have a choice and the choice of these words strips us of our power. Instead, we must focus on making wise choices – those in which we’ve engaged heart as well as head, and which ensure we do the right thing serving the organisation’s wider stakeholder community. Then we must bring intention to those choices, powering our ability to act in service of our purpose.
In cultivating our relationship with purpose, wise choices and intention we’ll be expanding our power and our ability to use it wisely and well.