Leading with power
The acquisition and use of strategic leader power involves managing a sequential process that is described below:
1. The first task is to decide what it is the leader is trying to achieve that necessitates the use of power.
2. With the goal in mind, the leader must assess the patterns of dependence and interdependence among the key players and determine to what extent he or she will be successful in influencing their behavior.
It is critical that the leader develop power and influence when the
key players have expressed a differing point of view. It is important to
remember there is more interdependence at the strategic level of the
organization where task accomplishment
is more complex.
3. Getting things done means the leader should "draw" a political map of the terrain that shows the relative power of the various players to fully understand the patterns of dependence and interdependence.
This involves
mapping the critical organization units and subunits and assessing
their power bases. This step is very important because a leader needs to
determine how much power these units have to leverage influence
either in support or opposition to their effort. For example, if a
leader is proposing to introduce a consensus team decision making
process in a joint interdependent environment, this implementation
decision could change power relationships among the players. In this
case, the leader needs to know the opposing players and the depth of
their power bases. This move will likely require the mobilization of
allies and the neutralization of resisters.
4. Developing multiple power bases is a process connected to those personal attributes and skills previously discussed and to structural sources of power. Structural
sources of power come from the leader's creation and
control over resources, location in communication and information
networks, interpersonal connections with influential others, reputation
for being powerful, allies or supporters, and the importance of leading
the "right" organization.
6. Recognizing the need for multiple power bases and developing them is not enough. The strategic leader must have an arsenal of influence strategies and tactics that convert power and influence into concrete and visible results.
Research on strategies and tactics for employing power effectively
suggests the following range of influence tactics:
- Framing/Reframing tactics establish the
context for analyzing both the decision and the action taken. By framing
the context early in the process, the strategic leader is positioned to
influence what looks reasonable or inappropriate
in terms of language and the overall process for generating the
decision itself. Framing and reframing decision making is an important
tactic for influencing organizational behavior. This process sensitizes
the leader to the context of organizational
decision making by increasing his or her self-awareness of
history-the history of past relationships and past choices.
Framing and reframing tactics thus give the leader the ability to set a
context within which present and possible future decisions are
evaluated, and an important perceptual lens that provides leverage for
producing innovative ideas for getting things done.
- Interpersonal influence tactics recognizes that
power and influence tactics are fundamental to living and operating in a
world where organizations are characterized as interdependent social
systems that require getting things done
with the help of other people. A leader employing interpersonal
influence tactics typically demonstrate behaviors that include: understanding
the needs and concerns of the other person, managing constructive
relationships with superiors, peers and subordinates, using active
listening skills, asking probing questions to understand a
countervailing power position, anticipating how individuals may respond
to ideas or information, thinking about the most effective means to
influence the individual and crafting appropriate tactics to the needs
and concerns of the other person, and maintaining a broad network of
individual contacts.
- Timing tactics involve determining not only what to do but when to move out. These types of action include: initiating
action first to catch your adversary unprepared, thereby establishing
possible advantage in framing a context for action, using delay tactics
to erode the confidence of proponents or opponents as it relates to
setting priorities, allocating resources and establishing deadlines, controlling the agenda and order of agenda items to affect how decisions are made. The sequencing of agenda items is very critical where decisions are interdependent.
- Empowerment tactics create conditions where
subordinates can feel powerful, especially those who have a high need
for power. Leaders empower their followers and subordinates through a
process that provides direction, intellectual
stimulation, emotional energy, developmental opportunities and
appropriate rewards. Typical behaviors of a leader using these tactics
include: high involvement and participation in the decision
making process, modifying and adapting one's ideas to include
suggestions from others, involving others in the strategy formulation
and implementation process, looking for creative and innovative
solutions that will benefit the total organization, and instilling
confidence in those who will implement the solutions.
- Structural tactics can be employed to divide and dominate the opposition. They
can be used to consolidate power by putting a leader or his or her
subordinates and allies in a position to exercise more control over
resources, information, and formal authority. Re-aligning organizational
structure can also be used to co-op others to support a leader's ideas,
initiatives and decisions.
Effective employment of structural tactics is accomplished when
leaders aggressively use their formal power to consolidate, expand and
control the organizational landscape.
- Logical persuasion tactics require using
logical reasons, facts, and data to influence others. Employment of a
leader's expert power base can be used to support logical persuasion.
Effective use of these tactics include the following
behaviors: persuading others by emphasizing the
strengths and advantages of their ideas, developing more than one reason
to support one's position, using systems thinking to demonstrate the
advantages of their approach, and preparing arguments to support their
case.
- Bargaining tactics involve leader behaviors that attempt
to gain influence by offering to exchange favors or resources, by
making concessions, or by negotiating a decision that mutually advances
the interests of all participants. These
influence tactics are typically effective in a political
environment involving opposing or resisting forces; when a leader is in a
position to do something for another individual or group; or when the
collective interests of all can be served.
- Organizational mapping tactics focus the
leader's sight on possible power-dependent and interdependent
relationships. The critical task is to identify and secure the support
of important people who can influence others in the organization.
Leaders using these tactics will employ behaviors that include:
determining which actors are likely to influence a decision, getting
things done by identifying existing coalitions and working through them,
garnering support by bringing together individuals from different areas
of the organization, isolating key individuals to build support for a
decision, linking the reputations of important players to the decision
context and working outside formal organization channels to get the
support of key decision makers.
- Impact leadership tactics include thinking
carefully about the most profound, interesting or dramatic means to
structure a decision situation to gain the support of others. Behaviors
include:presenting ideas that create an emotional bond with
others, using innovative and creative ways to present information or
ideas, finding and presenting examples that are embedded in the
political and cultural frames such as language, ceremonies and
propitious events, and lastly, consistently demonstrating high energy
and physical stamina in getting the job done.
- Visioning tactics demonstrate how a leader's
ideas and values support the organization's strategic goals, beliefs and
values. Leader behaviors in executing these tactics include: articulating
ideas that connect the organization's membership to an inspiring vision
of what the organization can become, appealing to organization core
values or principles, linking the work of the organization to the
leader's vision and broader goals, creating and using cultural symbols
to develop both individual pride and team identity.
- Information and analysis tactics suggest that leaders in control of the facts and analysis can exercise substantial influence. Leaders will use unobtrusive behaviors to disguise their true intention, which is to effectively
employ influence tactics that seemingly appear rational and analytical. Facts and data are manipulated and presented to appear rational and help to make the use of power and influence less obvious. Another ploy
used by leaders is to mobilize power by bringing in
credible outside experts who can be relied on to support a given
strategy and provide the answers they are expected to give. Lastly, under conditions of VUCA which characterizes strategic decision making, leaders will selectively advocate decision criteria
that support their own interests and organizations. In these cases,
leaders typically do what works best and make decisions based
on criteria that are most familiar to them.
- Coercive tactics are the least effective in
influencing strategic decisions. These tactics involve employing
threats, punishment, or pressure to get others to do what a leader wants
done. Typical leader behaviors include: using position power to
demand obedient compliance or blind loyalty, making perfectly clear the
costs and consequences of not "playing the game", publicly abusing and
reprimanding people for not performing, and punishing individuals who do
not implement the leader's requests, orders or instructions.
This chapter has addressed what
strategies and tactics are required for leading with power at the
highest organizational level. In a micro context, it is about managing
power, which translates as being personally effective in knowing how to
get things
done and having the political will to do so. At a macro level, it
means coping effectively with the strategic environment and dealing with
innovation and organizational change.