What, precisely, do we mean by "power"? I find that my MBA students are often uncomfortable with the word; they tend to prefer "influence," which is much less…powerful. And, of course, their resistance suggests that there’s something worth exploring here.
Merriam-Webster’s first definition of "power" is the "ability to act or produce an effect." OK, but I’m particularly interested in interpersonal power. Can we get a little more specific?
Kai Sassenberg, et al’s Why Some Groups Just Feel Better: The Regulatory Fit of Group Power* includes this definition of "relative power differences between groups":
But this definition poses a problem: It identifies a subject–i.e. another person–and a relationship between ourselves and that subject–i.e. the capacity to modify–but it says nothing about us and our internal state. And yet our level of comfort with power (and our ability to wield it effectively) varies so widely in different circumstances that it seems essential to include ourselves in the equation more explicitly.
There are three beliefs that commonly disempower us. The first is the belief that power is determined primarily by factors outside our influence or control… At worst, ascribing our power or lack thereof to forces beyond our control results in overlooking those factors over which we do have some control.
A second, related way in which we unnecessarily undermine our power is believing our view of the world is the same thing as external reality… Then, acting in accordance with what we "know," we collude in the continued external manifestation of our view of reality.
A third belief that undermines us is the belief that power is a fixed commodity, a limited resource for which we must compete… The more I have, the less you have, and vice-versa. If I want more power, I will spend considerable time and energy trying to increase mine and prevent you from increasing yours. If I feel undeserving, I may try to avoid using my power, pretend not to have it or give it away to others whom I believe to be more deserving.
Williams makes it clear that although our understanding of power may initially focus on others and our mutual relationships, the ability to actually wield power ultimately depends on our level of self-awareness and our ability to modify our beliefs and our internal state. So in seeking to be more powerful (or more influential, if you prefer) we should first seek to better understand ourselves.
*Thanks to Nora Richardson of the reference staff for bringing this article to my attention.
Photo by octal. Yay Flickr and Creative Commons.
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