The Sunday Mail
Women & Leadership
Maggie Mzumara
OFTEN-TIMES the word “power” is treated as immoral.
It is seen as evoking negative connotations and painting mental pictures of vaulting ambition to dominate or lord over others.
Some that have wielded power abused it, manipulated and victimised others.
Not to mention that the pole up the ladder of power can be pretty greasy. Yet, power exists in each and every organisation, group, or family.
It is needed and is often what gets systems to run and people to work on some collective agenda.
Because power is essential and can actually be the lifeblood of procedures and processes moving agendas ahead, recognising, regulating, acknowledging and managing power can be crucial for organisations, groups and individuals.
To appreciate power, regulate and use it accordingly, an understanding of sources of power is critical.
According to experts, there are two main sources of power — these are formal and informal.
Formal power is positional power — it is derived from titles like chairperson, supervisor, manager, director etcetera. With this kind of power comes the ability and responsibility to delegate, instruct, reward or discipline.
Then there is the informal or personal power. This is not position-based.
This manifests when an individual has the ability to develop expert power, for example, based on highly valued knowledge and skills or from associate power, which is based on who you know or who knows you, among a few other factors.
In some instances, the two can combine in the same individual. The one with formal power can also have own personal power, which is a definite plus.
However, often-times, that is not the case. In order to appreciate the power dynamics in any organisation or group, it is essential that you identify where power lies.
Know and acknowledge where both formal and informal power rests. And in the event that you actually have the formal position in an organisation, be sure to know if there are some among your team that possess informal power.
Careless treatment or disregard of this dynamic can have you as a titular head pitted against some natural leader in the group who may be hell-bent on being your nemesis, antagonising you and making your stint at the helm unbearable.
Be aware of the existence of this, navigate carefully holding your own but at the same time harnessing and managing this source of alternative power so that the individual or individuals can work with you instead of against you.
Informal or personal power is good to have, in its absence one must try to cultivate it. But how can one cultivate personal power?
You must always know what is going on by being aware of your environment and its dynamics. Information is power.
You also need to have the skills of the job at hand, the technical know-how of the organisation’s core-business, your department and your desk or your portfolio.
This is the value you bring to an organisation or group, lest you forget.
There is also a need to respect others and put yourself in their shoes often. Know what your constituency or team needs, as well as their priorities and deliver those or at least facilitate the pursuit of the same.
You also need to identify commonalities and tap into these. What you have in common with your colleagues, team or constituency, you must flag out, amplify and rally or mobilise around that.
You must cultivate a formidable personal brand.
This will convey and distinguish your unique style and personality as a professional and as an individual.
Tastefully and discreetly self-promote by enhancing your profile.
Toot your horn when the opportunity presents itself, and as a leader encourage others to do it too.
Be strategic, do not act carelessly, think things through and try not to lose sight of the big picture.
Additionally, you must cultivate your own tribe.
Build networks of business and social networks that can support, promote and complement what you have to offer.
Remember that real power comes not from titles but from actual value you bring to a situation, project, group or organisation.
◆ Maggie Mzumara is a leadership, communication and media strategist as well as corporate trainer. She advocates women leadership and is founder of Success in Stilettos (SiS) Seminar Series, a leadership development platform for women. Contact her on [email protected] or follow on Twitter @magsmzumara.
