Did you know there are three common misunderstandings regarding power and those who wield it? Most of us believe those misconceptions, according to Tiziana Casciaro, a professor of organizational behavior at the University of Toronto. Every time we mistake power for something it isn’t, we encourage them.
Do you agree with these statements?
Myth 1: “Authority is the same as power.”
Myth 2: “Power is filthy and associated with manipulation, compulsion, and deception.
Myth 3: “Powerful people retain their power in any situation, regardless of context.”
Power moves from person to person, authority cannot be the exclusive determinant. We can’t blame our power for bad judgments; we can only blame ourselves for not knowing how to handle them properly.
Finally, your ability to maintain control is contingent on your relationships with others, which are constantly changing.
If you’re an entrepreneur, you already know how important power is to your success. You’ll need it to build clout with customers, persuade employees to collaborate, and more.
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First and Foremost, What Is Power?
Assume you’re a new college graduate who has recently been hired by a prestigious firm.
You discover several opportunities to improve the business in your first three months: better project management tools, strategies to optimize everyone’s workflow, and simple meeting agendas. You tell everybody who will listen about your ideas, including your boss, the most powerful person in your orbit.
Your recommendations, on the other hand, are ignored. Decision-makers are paying attention, but they aren’t acting on your suggestions as quickly as you would want.
They graduate from college with a plethora of ideas and are eager to put them into action. However, these employees are constantly hearing the word “no.” Even when their ideas are sound, they encounter obstacles in the shape of managers, executives, and other leaders. As a result, young workers feel powerless, especially when seeking promotions or salaries.
However, power is more nuanced than that. It does not belong to those with fancy titles or who are thought to have more authority than you. A powerful person is someone who, regardless of social status, has the ability to influence others.
“At the end of the day, power is energy,” Casciaro explains. “It’s the energy you’ll need to change the world, to make any progress.” This energy is required to complete a task. You’ll be able to control it once you have a better understanding of it.”
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In Any Situation, How To Become Powerful
According to Casciaro, the moment you get access to a resource that others won’t, you become powerful. It might be anything: information, a social network, or proximity to moral goodness. So it’s not true that money and status are the only sources of power.
Most people have some level of control, even if it isn’t significant.
That’s great news for business owners that want to solve problems with one-of-a-kind goods and services. Whether you realize it or not, you’re asserting your power by assisting others.
Related: When Saying And Hearing “No” Must Be Celebrated.
Study Human Nature As Much As Possible.
Study the people around you if you want to become powerful. You need to know what excites individuals and makes their lives worthwhile, as Casciaro argues. Try to figure out what they want, need, and want so you can give them one of the riches.
“First and foremost, as an entrepreneur, you must understand human nature,” Casciaro explains. “It may come across as wishy-washy, but it’s the exact opposite. It’s the most crucial tool you have to deliver something that people actually connect with and care about.”
Understanding human nature is also beneficial in other domains. You’ll immediately recognize that sometimes you need to earn someone’s trust before allowing you access to their world (or their wallet/purse).
That’s why businesses spend decades cultivating a brand identity that consumers recognize.
Stick To The Power Playbook: Agitate, Invent, and Orchestrate.
After you’ve figured out what power is, the next step is to figure out how to use it. Casciaro’s strategy consists of three steps: agitate, invent, and orchestrate.
“You have to push for change, innovate to provide a solution to the change and orchestrate by forming a coalition of all stakeholders,” Casciaro explains.
This isn’t something we should do on our own. According to Casciaro, fulfilling those three important duties requires a team of people.
Agitators Make Excellent Public Speakers.
They have the ability to communicate an issue in an engaging manner and pique people’s interest in a solution.
It’s all about creativity for innovators. They take a strategy a step further by figuring out how to solve a problem.
Orchestrators bring together a group of agitators and innovators and organize their efforts into a unified movement.
Finding your place in the world can be difficult. However, knowing your abilities and being willing to use them can sometimes be all it takes.
“At this point in time, what am I good at?” Casciaro inquires. “What can I provide in terms of my development, career, and competence?” Put all of these resources together, and change happens—even massive change, despite all odds.”