Power of defencelessness

The social and biological foundations of power are the basis of leader’s managerial success. 

The biological types of power are: 

• power of defencelessness
• power of physical might (and stamina)
• power of emotion
• power of image
• power of sound 

Let us discuss each one of the aforementioned sorts of power in detail. 

Power of defencelessness

Power of defencelessness (or helplessness) is a capability to alter others’ priorities, aims, and purposes or acquire their resources (including but not restricted to time, care, money, food, or medicaments) on the sole basis of appearing weak and lacking defence. Newborns possess gears to influence those around them by making them develop a sense of necessity of taking care of the child. 

A newborn cannot be a source of danger as it is inept of violent action or harm. Thus, for protection, it instinctively addresses its parents and other mature individuals at hand. This biological mechanism aimed at survival is not to be confused with the maternal instinct: not even being capable of speaking distinctly, little children and/or animals are empowered to receive necessary aid from both females and males. 

While every single individual is equipped with this type of power, only few know how to employ it intentionally for professional purposes. A great artistic talent is required to produce emotions at will as much as lability of the psyche. 

This type of influence is constrained by the delineation of the we-group and the they-group; abates in direct proportion with distance and time; is only effective for small groups (under 4 persons). Power of defencelessness can only be exercised in direct contact with its object, who is supposed to face a strong emotional impulse to provide the service necessary. The case of replying negatively after having been solicited for something must be followed by a wave of pangs of conscience, self-criticism, and guilt: I am bad, coldhearted, abysmal. It can be said that power of defencelessness is a trigger to reaction of self-deprecation for most managers - if they cannot help, they tend to depreciate sorely themselves and their own prospects and abilities. 

The subject of power here rarely finds the result of influence satisfactory. Defencelessness can be a means of survival, not prosperity and the one asking often receives not what they have been asking for!

Most animals employ defencelessness, however: a dog, having lost a fight, unbares the most vulnerable parts of its body to the winner, so that the latter is oscillating to end the life of the former. The request of the Nature is to leave alive them who have accepted their defeat. Even hooligans and criminals might opt for a pregnable, weak appearance in case of an undesirable position in a conflict so that not to be ‘finished off’! Power of defencelessness is name to the mechanism that helps the vanquished save their lives. Therefore, it is commonly used by beggars, panhandlers and the homeless as both nature and education urge a ‘civilised man’ to give alms, to help, to forgive. Moreover, it is professional frauds and skilled negotiators who present themselves defenceless in order to obtain better conditions or prolong the contract even after an immense disservice or malfeasance. Defenceless are employees and suppliants when they ingenuously hand their doom over to the manager leaving the latter with no choice other than to bear the burden of their problems.

The unwritten traditions of Russia include people’s petitions rulers, pleas for personal mercy, as much as throwing themselves under the wheels of the governor’s motorcade to pass the letter of complaint or entreaty directly into his/her hands. Popular need to complain is commonly met in Russia with teleconferences with the president. And 3 to 4 hours of the Russian leader’s time are spent helping laying asphalt, replacing decrepit pipes, and providing remote villages with gas heating.

It is exactly why saying ‘no’ to weak appearing solicitor without any subsequent mental torment is a must for an efficacious manager.

Russian leaders tend fence themselves with numerous secretaries, guards… and, in fact, by fences. We, the Russians, in general, find it almost impossible to refuse a request correctly. To be more precise, to refuse it in a manner that is free of posterior damage to our conscience. 

One of the most stressful facets of any managerial activity is perpetual entreaties of help and it is precisely that what psychological stability of a leader is confronted with on a regular basis.

Note: Mothers that abandon their children do so not for the reason of lacking love towards them but for the one of fearing their own inability to bear responsibility for a separate living being. A protective mechanism is activated and it is one of avoidance and evasion, the most radical degree of which is murder of the child.