Is it About Power, Influence, or Collaboration?

Spoiler alert... in today's complex business world, it is about all three! The modern business leader must exert power, influence their environment, and collaborate with their teammates. However, the key aspect of this question does not lie on the choice of behavior (as all three are necessary), but rather on the development of an ability to choose what behavior to display in order to generate a desired outcome.

Long Lingo and McGinn (2020) propose that situations should be considered when determining how to exert power: "Ask yourself not just why the goal is important to you but also why it might be important to your colleagues, your company, and society" (p. 70). In other words, defining the purpose of a project for your colleagues can be a way to influence their desire to collaborate with you which empowers you to drive control (power). Nevertheless, I would add that authenticity plays an important role in this equation as a true and honest vision of purpose cannot be made up. Consequently, modern leaders must stay true to who they are and ensure that they only pursue projects that are consistent with their values.

Another tool to become empowered, influence our environment, and foster productive collaboration is through the building and maintenance of professional relationships. A great example of this tactic is the approach by a former colleague of mine who happens to be one of the best sales executives with whom I have ever worked. This individual understood the value of his relationships with his counterparts in operations which allowed him to deliver presentations to our existing and prospect clients filled with operational insight that served as an elegant complement to his extensive knowledge of the business development process. "Beyond your personal attributes and situational factors in your organization, your power is also enabled and constrained by your interactions with others" (Long Lingo and McGinn, 2020. p. 71). Notwithstanding the criticality of relationships in almost every aspect of business, the topic of authenticity comes into play here as well. Simply put, a fake relationship is always an ineffective one long term. What defines a "fake" relationship is a topic for another day.

Whether we employ the exertion of power or influences our colleagues or collaborate with them to reach a common goal, we must always be able to adapt to an ever changing environment. Long Lingo and McGinn (2020) assert that "there is a meaningful distinction between pausing to pivot and avoidance. The first allows you to reconsider and reconstitute your influence attempt; the second, often arising from discomfort or an inability to effectively exercise power, means giving up your opportunity to gain influence" (p. 74). The point to take away here is that leadership can be exercised through "pivoting" as a way to persevere through difficult situations instead of giving up and "avoid" the pursuit of our goals. Adapting to change, or pivoting as we wait for the right moment to act, will allow leaders to be better collaborators and, in the process, influence their colleagues as roadblocks can quickly stall progress and kill projects.

Power doesn't have to carry a negative connotation. Furthermore, exerting power through the implementation of authentic collaborative efforts guided by influential efforts built upon integrity and a sound set of values is not only an acceptable business practice, but an action that will bring about a better reality for everyone involved.

Thank you for reading. Onward and upward!

Oliver

Notes

Long Lingo, Elizabeth and McGinn, Kathleen L. "A New Prescription for Power." Harvard Business Review, July-August 2020.