Personal power increases position power
If you are in a position of authority, have you ever thought of who
you would be when your powerful business card goes away.
Positional power is the authority you wield by virtue of your
position in the organization's structure and hierarchy. Personal power
is your own strengths and the ability to influence people whether or not
you have any formal authority. Business leaders when in power typically
use both position power and personal power to lead employees.
While some have personal power, you may have come across bosses who
have only position power with no superior capacity, than you do, to
lead. Haven't you had bosses you thought were not fit to be your boss?
Some of you may be having such a boss today.
If you have neither position power nor personal power then your
choices in life are limited. If you have position power without personal
power, then you can get what you want done in areas where your position
has influence. Employees, most likely, out of fear, will do the tasks to
stay afloat - may be with no respect or loyalty. A question that we all
have to grapple with is, "How do I know when to use position power and
when to use personal power?"
Younger generation
There are some black and white areas and there are some grey areas.
Black and white or clear-cut areas are occasions where it is obvious
that due to your position, you need to assert the power of your
position.
Grey areas are those murky situations where you could go either way.
In such situations, there is no sure-fire formula to follow; great
leaders seem to listen to their inner voice based on instinct or wisdom
before they call the shots. The world of work has changed and keeps
evolving rapidly. In fact, the younger generation of employees, unlike
their older co-workers, does not respect position power.
If you have personal power, then you are able to influence and
inspire people anytime and anywhere. Clearly, the ultimate goal is to
have both forms of power and to use your personal power more - rather
than your position.
The balance of position power and personal power, a leader exerts,
depends on a complex mix of his or her leadership background,
self-esteem, confidence, values, assessment of the respect received by
others, the particular situation and people involved, and preferred
behavioral style.
Skill set
If it is the skill set that earned you that important job title, it
is due to the knowledge you gained studying hard to get into that league
of intellects. Your ability to handle pressure and your can-do mindset.
It is your character, resilience, persistence, patience, and
intelligence.
These things are internal to you; they cannot be taken away from you.
The right thing to do, is to put more effort into enlarging and
expanding your personal power. Are you a committed life-long learner? Do
you love to read, do you love to think, do you push your boundaries to
grow.
When personal power is used wisely, it increases your positional
power. When positional power is used wisely, it increases your personal
power. However, when either one is used improperly, it reduces your
personal authority and positional authority.
You are the center of the employees' world. Everything starts with
you and ends with you. There is nothing wrong with positional power, but
it should be backed by personal power to remain a leader. Position power
without personal power cannot be sustained. Position power gained
through personal power is long lasting but with continuous expansion of
your portfolio of strengths.
Do you strive to remember that your position power is NOT you, that
it is external to you? That you never really own anything here on earth;
at most you rent it during your brief stay.
It is your personal power that is YOU and the source of your true
strength, your true power. Always remember; the power that will remain
in you when you lose the power of the Business Card is your real power.
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