What to do with power?

Power is neither good nor evil; nor is it the ultimate goal. The chief aim is to show leadership, which comes down to how you use your power.

Formal power versus real influence

Once you’ve gained formal authority in the workplace, it makes you a power holder – but you now need to gain active recognition of that authority from colleagues to lead them effectively.

This is because you can have a formally designated base of power (such as a job title), but not have what is called status, which is other people’s recognition of that power and openness to your influence. (Think of a boss or colleague who had a significant hierarchical position but whom no one listened to – they were simply not influential.)

To avoid this scenario, ask yourself the following questions:

How much power do you actually have?
How do you get others to recognize it?
Are you using it to improve the organization or the team?
Are you using your power to help others, or for mere self-aggrandizement?

Key learning

Being able to exert influence and lead people effectively is as much about how you use your power as your job title. This means you need to cultivate respect from your reports and show restraint by being careful not to abuse them or the other resources that are now available to you, simply because you have formal authority over them. This is an ethical issue, but taking pains to exercise your power with due regard for others will enable you to lead them effectively and help cement your status – the true source of leadership.

Jennifer Jordan

Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior

Jennifer Jordan is a social psychologist and Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at IMD. Jennifer’s teaching, research, and consulting focus on the areas of digital leadership, ethics, influence, and power. She has received specialized training and certifications in lie and truthfulness detection, as well as in conflict resolution within organizations. She is Program Director of the Women on Boards and the Leadership Essentials program, and co-Director of the Leading Digital Execution program.