The Changing Dynamic of Power in Leadership
The world needs a mindset upgrade when thinking of the dynamic of Power — Power in leadership, certainly, as well as in our own relationship with Power as individuals and in our societies overall. Don’t you agree? If we look at the business world in general, the predominant leadership style has been hierarchical command and control, force and coercion, and domination and exploitation. The focus has been on “Winners take all.”
But more and more, this leadership style is being called “toxic leadership” or “toxic masculinity” because it values and practices ‘power over,’ which is based on and motivated by scarcity and fear tactics, and it perpetuates inequality, injustice, and exclusion.
Is Power A Finite Resource?
This way of expressing Power is rooted in the belief that Power is a finite resource held only by people in power positions, indicating that only a select number of people have Power and the rest are powerless. This is the main aspect and dominant foundation of what has been called patriarchy.
As we have seen in MBA programs for decades, horizontal management and leadership training are based on this traditional premise.
However, the enforcement of this kind of ‘power over’ has brought us to the brink of extinction, and yet it is still influencing the present exodus of professionals from the workplace.
Does this sound familiar?
But it feels like change is in the air… Love is in the air.
Love Is In The Air
Why love?
Because that masculine, fear-based way of leading and exerting Power — is gradually becoming outdated in a world that needs and demands diversity, equality, and inclusion, to turn things around to wholeness.
People are calling for a more balanced style of leadership in which the positive aspects of our masculine leadership traits are integrated with our more feminine attributes of respecting, caring, nurturing, giving, co-creating, sharing, and serving each other, resulting in more creative collaboration and expanding more successful results.
The people call for leaders who know how to combine and balance their strength and courage with being vulnerable and compassionate and preferring to lead from the heart.
And yes — let’s be courageous enough to call it what it is: Leaders who know how to love unconditionally.
This type of leadership is conscious leadership, and the time is now!
Shifting From Toxic Leadership To Conscious Leadership
We replace:
- A scarcity mindset with that of abundance
- “Winners take all” with collaboration and cooperation
- Extraction with healing and giving
- Fear and control with love
- ‘Power over’ with ‘Power to’ — “Power to the people,” supporting those you lead with empowerment
So, what does all of that mean?
Instead of you, as the leader, micromanaging, intimidating, and powering over your people, you give them autonomy to generate their own Power and seek new possibilities and actions created without using domination.
It refers to all humans’ unique potential to shape their reality and affect changes in themselves, their workplaces, and society.
This kind of Power is based on ethics, mutual respect, and inclusion and opens up the possibility of another type of Power referred to as ‘power with.’
What Is “Power With”?
- ‘Power with’ is shared Power built on collaboration and relationships, collective strength
- It’s rooted in mutual support, dignity, and solidarity
- It enhances individual talents and knowledge and helps build bridges, and reduces conflict
- It promotes equitable relations.
Wielding your leadership power as ‘power to’ and ‘power with’ will empower your people to act from their strength and TRUE Power. The door opens to new opportunities, innovation, and healthy growth for your business, your people, and the bigger whole.
The effective and successful leaders of today and the future will need to wield their Power wisely, using the leadership style of ‘power to’ and ‘power with.’
They can do that by becoming conscious leaders and wielding their TRUE Power through the conscious leadership style.
Are YOU ready?
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You may also be interested in:
- HOW 5 ICELANDIC BUSINESS LEADERS CRASHED THEIR CAREERS OVERNIGHT
- BIDDING FOR POWER
- UNLOCK YOUR TRUE POWER BY TAKING THE TANTALIZING INNER JOURNEY
Connect with Rúna:
- Website: www.TruePowerInstitute.com
- Twitter: @RunaBouius
- Facebook: Runa Bouius/TruePowerInstitute
- LinkedIn: Runa Bouius
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Rúna Bouius is a former CEO and serial entrepreneur from Iceland and the founder of the True Power Institute. She is a speaker, author, conscious leadership and well-being facilitator, and advisor and executive coach to visionary leaders, entrepreneurs, and successful professionals. She is on the vanguard of the new-business paradigm thinking, creating better workplaces, and developing emerging leaders.
Rúna specializes in facilitating conscious leadership, promoting emerging leadership trends, and evolving leaders’ relationships to power — TRUE Power!
