Leadership and Power
Jean Le Bel Ngopnang, MBA
Managing Director - Senior Expert at Blue Ocean Group
The leader is a person who has power over his sphere of influence. He must use it for the good of his group, but above all he must ensure that this power is not attacked or eroded by others. His credibility and the stability of his group are at stake.
“Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate and connect with people in order to inspire and empower their lives."_
Oprah WINFREY - Famous American TV host and entrepreneur.
I don't know if you have read POWER - 48 Laws of Power, a bestseller by American author Robert Greene, published in 1998.
He talks about power, how to have power, how to manage the power of those above you and how to manage your ambitions. He draws from history and different traditions the lessons or practices that successful people have used.
" If, like the courtier of times gone by, you can master the arts of indirection, learning to seduce, charm, deceive, and subtly outmaneuver your opponents, you will attain the heights of power”
Robert Greene (48 laws of Power)
The leader or manager is above all, a person who exercises power over others. In this exercise and in the exchanges or interaction with others, leaders or simply followers of others leaders, he must know how to behave so as not to enter into conflict because of :
Experience shows that natural leaders are often less maneuverable than self-made leaders. They are crushed by the latter if they do not take the time to learn how to maneuver: this is not natural.
"He who wants to show himself a good man in everything and everywhere cannot fail to perish in the midst of so many bad men."
Nicolas Machiavelli
In the following weeks, you will receive some of Greene's power laws. We will present them in quote form and comment on what we think is the best approach beyond this famous quote.
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As like the other years, you will see that your leadership (whether you are a manager or not) is the foundation of your performance, as it has a hold on your behavior as well as exchanges with others.