Power: the dirty secret or the secret to success? Both.

The notion of power is an interesting one. Few leaders would openly admit to saying they 'have power' or want more of it, but almost all of them do (have it and want more of it).

That's because, in essence, it's pretty hard to lead or get anything worthwhile done for anyone without power.

Jeffrey Pfeffer 's recently released The 7 Rules of Power (get the read here and the LeadRede here ) will take you on an interesting and I suspect challenging journey through the very solid social research science that strongly suggests the following seven precepts are the keys to being more powerful as a leader:

• Rule 1: Get out of your own way
• Rule 2: Break the rules
• Rule 3: Appear powerful
• Rule 4: Build a powerful brand
• Rule 5: Network relentlessly
• Rule 6: Use your power
• Rule 7: Success excuses (almost) everything (why this is the most important rule of all)

Just as he has done with earlier writings, Pfeffer is not remotely interested in pontificating his way around a virtues cake; he is telling you about the world as it is. Power can be used for good or bad -- we all know that -- but the rules of power are not in and of themselves wholly determined by moral orientation or intention.

I know this is an excellent book because it bothers and challenges me.

There are aspects to every one of those rules that make me personally squirm (particularly in relation to the second, third and seventh rules). But I cannot deny the fact that I absolutely have seen every one of those rules writ large in some very successful leaders I've worked with -- and they were outstanding individuals who achieved excellent outcomes and made the world they touched a better place.

Probably more importantly, as Deborah Liu -- CEO of Ancestry , attests in recommending the book:

"Pfeffer shows us how often we give away our power and how we can reclaim it."

There's a good argument to say that at the end of the day it comes down to that. To lead and get things done, to realise your leadership purpose, you'll need to have power. It's up to you whether you pursue, accrue and apply power to fuel that mission, or (inadvertently or not) choose to give it away.

Just don't expect to be able to lead without power, and don't be bothered if the notion of power bothers you, is my advice.

Power for power's sake alone is almost never a good thing, and as Lord Acton famously warned us "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

So while power is a critical component of any (efficacious) leadership diet, the warning on the wrapper remains an important one.

This is a?Leader TWIG ?- the concept of (a)?growing something new?(a new awareness, skill or 'branch' to what you currently already know) but also (b) becoming equipped to 'catch on', realising or suddenly understanding something that is in fact right in front of you in the performative leadership moment (from the Gaelic 'tuig').

Access the LeadRede self-coaching learning journey attached to this TWIG.