Introduction: The Way It All Started
People say that power is like a litmus paper. Once gripping it, one is bound to show all the facets of his/her personality that have been hidden from the rest of mankind until now. However, it still can be considered that once realizing the problems that such uncontrollable power can lead to, a person can choose another path to follow.
To give an example of the different shapes that power can take, I would like to consider my own experience. One of the most significant pieces of my life, the time when I realized how multilateral power can be, is the period when I had to take the leading part in the company management, though I did not have the position. Showing considerable competency, I tried to create alternative ways for the company to move towards progress. Thus, I was to exercise the type of power that was described as “personal power”, that is, the position when “you don’t have a formal position in an organization to have power”
As soon as I realized that a group of people was in my command and I was supposed to be their leader, I had a strong, almost intolerable temptation to take the approach that could be described as an expert power – “influence wielded as a result of experience, special skill, or knowledge” (183). However, it was rather soon that I realized that such a path is quite dangerous – once being overestimated, I could face the risk of losing all my authority in case of a failure.
Thus, I resorted to the kind of power that can be defined as the referent power – the one that “is based on identification with a person who has desirable resources or personal traits” (183). I must admit that in the given case this was the most reasonable and the only possible position since I possessed certain skills that could bring considerable profit to the company. Therefore, it cannot be considered that I overestimated my possibilities.
At the Crossroads: Choosing the Right Turn
What needs emphasizing is the fact that I preferred choosing the path that could be described as possessing a certain power, not taking leadership in the company. Since I feel quite uncomfortable in the position of a leader, it was much more convenient to choose the position of a consultant rather than taking such responsibility as the leadership over a certain group of people. Also, it was more comfortable from a psychological point of view to communicate with them from the position of a peer, not a boss. As it was wisely remarked, “power does not require goal compatibility, merely dependence. Leadership, on the other hand, requires some congruence between the goals of the leader and those being led” (182). What I suggested were merely some innovations.
Conclusion: Analyzing the Reward
Analyzing the experience obtained, I must admit that leadership and power are considerably different. Also, I must mention that the power of imposing one’s opinion on the others is completely inappropriate in a company. Thus, such practice was one more step towards my vision of power in a society and the ways to implement it.