We know that leaders need to be assertive, has to have self-confidence and make decisions. The leader need to take control.
A leader has to have control over people, resources, budgets and tasks. Even when we allocate tasks to others we still take control.
People often associate control with power and manipulation. However, it is a technical process, concerning feedback on accounting and operations. We exercise power over the situation. It make take place through:
* Observing the law and codes of practice - the leader does not have full freedom in deciding what control to exercise.
If the law says that something must be done a certain way it must be done in that way.
* Policies and procedures, which are related to the laws and codes of practice as well as leader can control the operations through the procedures.
* The business structure - this is generally reflected through the organisational chart so that we know where we fit in the organisation and who is in charge. The person at the top of hierarchy tell the others what to do
* Technology system or production system that the processes and activities can be controlled
* System that focuses on measuring inputs, outputs, processes and behaviour - it is important to measure how people are performing.
* Results on specific actions,
* The measurement of performance of the day-to-day actions,
* Recruitment, training and development,
* Overall evaluation of the business performance.
Power it is taking control over the process or people, but also taking control without consensus of other people. Leaders need to have some level of power to ensure things will happen as intended.
Researches show, that power has five main characteristics:
Reward power - the leader has the power to reward others who do what is required and employees respond to the leader in return to reward. But this type of power is ineffective if it is believed that the leader has no control over the level of reward.
Legitimate power - this type is based on hierarchy and closely linked to the organisational structure mentioned earlier.
Expert power - this leader have a superior level of knowledge that others recognise.
Referent power - based on charisma and others obey the leader.
Coercive power - this one is based on fear of punishment and the employee will obey the leader.
To gain power leader is to have a certain level of Expertise, Charisma, Commitment and Motivation but also a level of Legitimacy.
Some academia defined three different ways in which power is exercised:
Processual level - it originates from processes of daily interaction, generally focused on processes and rules and how they are used on a daily basis.
Institutional level - it is based on social and economic structures as there is a presumption that with management role there is some level of authority.
Organisational level - this is linked to hierarchy and seniority level.
However, a full power needs to be earned. There are some suggestions in which we can gain more power:
* Providing resources - for example by giving reward, money, sanctions
* Coping with uncertainty - having the ability to make changes and adapt to external stimulus
* Being irreplaceable - many managers adapt this tactic, as with exclusive knowledge managers have more power ( expert power)
* Affecting decision process - influencing decisions and choices
* By consensus - reaching agreements.
Unfortunately often power can be abused. People will use power to achieve their own personal goals rather for the good of the organisation. They do it by humiliating others who offer different opinions, favouring those who always agree, offering development to those who are being supportive or punishing those who disagree.
Abuse of power can lead to bullying in the workplace.
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