The Water Trough- We can't make you drink, but we will make you think!
The Water Trough- We can't make you drink, but we will make you think!
Leadership's Dual Edge: Power for Good or Self
In this episode of 'The Water Trough,' Ed Drozda, the Small Business Doctor, revisits a previous discussion on the relationship between power and leadership. Ed emphasizes the importance of reflecting on different leadership styles and the power they wield. Ed urges both leaders and followers to critically assess their roles and motivations to ensure positive outcomes. This episode is designed to provoke thoughtful consideration about the nature of leadership and its impact on society.
Welcome to the water trough where we can't make you drink, but we will make you think. My name is ed draws to the small business doctor, and I'm really excited, chose to join me here. As we discussed topics that are important for small business folks, just like you. If you're looking for ideas, inspiration, and possibility, you've come to the right place. Join us as we take steps to help you create the healthy business. Always wanted.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-1:Welcome back to the water trough. This is ed draws to the small business doctor.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-3:I was going through the archives of the old episodes today and decided to revisit an episode from several years ago about power and leadership.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-1:I brought it back because I was thinking about the current state of the election process here in the United States. And. I thought it was a good opportunity to reflect once again on power and leadership. I think it's brought to a holding level as we're going through the selection process now. Most, certainly this is not a political episode, nor is it intended to be. I have no desire to suggest anything in the way of political outcomes here. But I did think because of that awareness today, it was a good opportunity to take a look. At this old episode. So here we go.
Oftentimes we don't look deep enough, look far enough to understand what's going on out there. And I think that's really what the, what a tr is all about as the motto implies. We can't make you drink. that is to say, we can't make you do what we say, but we will make you think. This is actually a great lead in to the concept of leadership and power. When one thinks of leadership, one often thinks of implied authority. A leader is looked upon as somebody who knows, who has an idea, what to do is able to, if not, tell us what to do, at least guide us as to what we should be aspiring to do. Leadership directing us to perform or to behave in a certain way. For some of us leaders are absolutely essential. We're not self starters. We don't have the desire, the ambition, or perhaps the capability of initiating things. So we depend upon leaders to give us opportunity to put things out in front of us or in some sense, perhaps a crutch, but let's consider at the same time. Some people are meant to be followers and some are meant to be leaders and a leader without followers, is probably something of an empty leader. The leaders themselves are not dained to go out and do the things. Typically they do work in concert with their supporters, with their followers, but this leads us to something particularly important. And that is the relationship between leadership or leading and power. you see leadership by itself. As I had mentioned before, suggests an implied authority. We look upon leaders as being folks who have a certain amount of credibility, a certain amount of distinction from the rest of us, particularly from those of us who are not so inclined. To be able to step up and make things happen on our own people who lack the initiative, the drive, or perhaps the talent or capability. So leaders really are somewhat of a special group of people, a distinguished group of people, and a group of people that may arrive in this role for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is that their intent, their purpose is associated with fulfilling the greater good. And on the other hand, Are people who want to lead for the benefit of themselves and herein lies the relationship between leadership and power. Power comes in two forms. One of these is socialized power and socialized power is when our endeavor is to do things with a greater good. On the other hand, we have personalized power power that is intended to serve the person with the power. So when we consider that leaders can come from one of two orientations, that is looking out for the greater good and looking out for their own benefit. And we can see that the relationship between power and leadership power and leading is pretty straightforward. Power is essentially the ability to influence others, to do things, to take action, to make things happen. In contrast, leading is the ability to inspire others, to do things, to wish, to do things, to want, to make accomplishments so inspiring and influencing are pretty close in nature. One is more of a cognitive thing when we inspire people. We reach out to them at a certain level where they, we might say they buy in to what the idea is. Influencing is a little bit more creative influencing is where we may exert some sort of, to accomplish things, to do things. So we've established that one cannot lead without power. One cannot inspire to get things done without exerting some sort of influence to have people follow through what really matters here. What is at stake is the credibility of the leader, the wellbeing of the follow. And the outcome of the relationship. And what I mean by this is when we're working with a leader who has developed personalized power, their sole goal is to serve themselves, not someone else, not some other, cause it is very self center. And of course we see these things all the time. On the other hand, those leaders who desire to inspire and influence others for the greater good, these folks who are employing socialized power are going to provide an outcome that will be broadly beneficial, not just serving. The whims or the desires of the leader. I think the important takeaways here are these we've identified the relationship between power and leadership. We know that they go hand in hand and that leadership does not exist without power. The opposite way, of course is not, necessarily always there, but leadership does require power and there are choices to be made. for the leader. The choice is will the power and leadership that I express that, which I deliver be designed to serve only me, or will it serve a larger purpose, a greater good. On the other hand, the followers, those that work with leaders on behalf of leaders, they have to ask themselves a very important question as. What is the purpose of my leader? What is their goal? Does it serve them and only them? And if that's the case, do I really wish to be actively engaged in this process? They may sound like pretty straightforward choices, but history has told us repeatedly that we often make choices to follow. Leaders who should not have been followed. We've often made choices to follow leaders who have delivered more harm than good. So it's important. I believe very important for us to take a close look, not only at role as leaders, but also as a role in working with them and on their.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-7:Once again. I want to thank you for joining me here at the water trough. I look forward to seeing you again soon. And in the interim, I want to wish you a healthy business.