Power is a complex force in organizational life and takes many forms in leadership including relationship power, information power, positional power, and reward power. While leveraging influence through informal and formal networks can have a positive impact, power misused harms decision-making, creates fear, and results in resistance. Working with companies around the world, we see too many examples of leaders wielding power and control like weapons. In one example, within a year of a new leader arriving into a department, a third of the team had resigned and a once thriving, collaborative, unified culture was left decimated. In our executive coaching engagements, we explore the concept and use of power, providing a framework for leaders to develop a deeper understanding of their relationship with power and employ strategies to harness its benefits and minimize the pitfalls.
The Double-Edged Sword of Power
The power approach theory, also known as the approach/inhibition theory, is a concept developed by Dacher Keltner (2003). Individuals with high power tend to exhibit approach behaviors, meaning they are more likely to pursue goals and take risks, while those with low power tend toward inhibition behaviors, characterized by caution and a heightened awareness of potential threats. Informed by our understanding of neurobiology, high power activates a behavioral approach system (BAS) in the brain, leading to a bias for action, openness to new experiences, and a focus on potential rewards, whereas low power activates a behavioral inhibition system (BIS), causing individuals to be more vigilant and closely monitor the environment.
According to the theory, power creates a fundamental shift in how individuals process information and interact with their environment, often leading to both positive outcomes like increased initiative and creativity and undesirable consequences such as reduced perspective-taking and increased stereotyping. A landmark study by Galinsky et al. (2006) also found that power can impair perspective-taking abilities, a requisite skill for leaders. Those in positions of power often struggle to accurately perceive others' viewpoints and emotions, potentially undermining their effectiveness as leaders.
How Executive Coaching Helps Leaders Master Power
Executive coaching offers several evidence-based approaches to help leaders navigate the upsides and downsides of power:
Developing Power Consciousness: One of the primary benefits of executive coaching is increasing awareness of how power influences leaders' behavior and relationships. Through structured reflection and feedback, coaches help executives recognize power dynamics in their interactions and decision-making processes. Research by Magee and Smith (2013) suggests that this type of power awareness can help mitigate many of power's negative effects.
Cultivating Humble Power: Coaching can help leaders develop what Collins (2001) termed Level 5 Leadership – the combination of personal humility and professional will. This approach helps executives maintain the benefits of power while avoiding its corrupting influences. Coaching sessions often focus on developing specific behaviors that demonstrate humble leadership, such as seeking feedback, admitting mistakes, and sharing credit.
Enhancing Perspective-Taking: To counter power's tendency to reduce empathy, executive coaches employ various techniques to enhance perspective-taking capabilities. These might include role-playing exercises, stakeholder mapping, and regular feedback sessions with team members. Sherman et al. (2015) found that leaders who regularly practice perspective-taking maintain better relationships with their teams and make more balanced decisions.
Building Power Intelligence: Just as emotional intelligence has become a crucial leadership skill, power intelligence – the ability to understand and skillfully navigate power dynamics – is increasingly recognized as essential for executive success. Coaching helps leaders develop this capability through:
- Understanding their power sources
- Recognizing power's impact on their behavior and relationships
- Learning to modulate their use of power based on context
- Developing strategies for ethical power use
Practical Strategies for Power Management
Through executive coaching, leaders can develop specific strategies for deploying power more effectively. These include:
Conducting Regular Power Audits: Structured assessments of how leaders are using their influence, including a review of key decisions, analyzing relationship dynamics, and gathering feedback from a range of stakeholders.
Developing Power Rituals: Research by Gruenfeld et al. (2008) suggests that the effects of power are partly based on leaders' mindsets. Executive coaching helps leaders develop rituals and practices that promote balanced power use, such as regular reflection periods, structured feedback sessions, or intentional challenge by peers or team members.
Creating Accountability Systems: Coaching relationships provide built-in accountability for power use. Beyond that, coaches can help executives establish additional mechanisms in the workplace, such as trusted peer networks, team feedback, and after-action reviews to evaluate the way a leader is exerting power.
The Future of Power in Leadership
As the role organizations play in the world continues to evolve and change, the skillful use of power becomes increasingly crucial. Research by Anderson and Brion (2014) suggests that sustainable power depends more on perceived competence and genuine value creation than traditional authority. Executive coaching helps leaders align their power use with this evolving understanding.
Conclusion
Power remains one of the most challenging aspects of executive leadership. Through executive coaching, leaders can develop the awareness, skills, and practices needed to use power effectively and ethically. By combining psychological insights with practical strategies, coaching helps executives navigate the complexities of power while maintaining their effectiveness and integrity. The journey to mastering power is ongoing, but with self-insight and support, executives can learn to wield influence in ways that benefit both their organizations and their personal development. As Keltner (2016) notes, the most effective leaders are those who use their power to advance the greater good while maintaining their own psychological balance and ethical standards.
References
Anderson, C., & Brion, S. (2014). Perspectives on power in organizations. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1(1), 67-97.
Collins, J. (2001). Level 5 leadership: The triumph of humility and fierce resolve. Harvard Business Review, 79(1), 66-76.
Galinsky, A. D., Magee, J. C., Inesi, M. E., & Gruenfeld, D. H. (2006). Power and perspectives not taken. Psychological Science, 17(12), 1068-1074.
Gruenfeld, D. H., Inesi, M. E., Magee, J. C., & Galinsky, A. D. (2008). Power and the objectification of social targets. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(1), 111-127.
Keltner, D. (2016). The power paradox: How we gain and lose influence. Penguin Press.
Keltner, D., Gruenfeld, D. H., & Anderson, C. (2003). Power, approach, and inhibition. Psychological Review, 110(2), 265-284.
Magee, J. C., & Smith, P. K. (2013). The social distance theory of power. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 17(2), 158-186.
Sherman, G. D., Lee, J. J., Cuddy, A. J., Renshon, J., Oveis, C., Gross, J. J., & Lerner, J. S. (2015). Leadership is associated with lower levels of stress. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(41), 15757-15761.
