Status Vs. Power!

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Status Vs. Power! / 118, 06 Apr 2024

In management, Power is the authority to get things done. It is recorded in administrative manuals, is tangible and clear to all. Status on the other hand, exists only in collective imagination of employees, and is intangible and fuzzy. As a result, Power is understood uniformly by everyone, whereas understanding of Status will vary from person to person. It’s a bit like the attached picture, where the person’s image is visible to all, but the shadow behind is pure perception, and may be viewed differently by multiple people. Intrigued? Do read on!

We all know people who are highly regarded or respected by their colleagues (high status) even when they do not have much authority or control (low power). And we also know people who have high authority and control (high power) but somehow are not regarded or respected by their colleagues (low status). Status and Power can exist without each other. But status without Power causes disillusionment and power without status causes disgruntlement.

Dr. Alison Fragale, professor of organisational behaviour, has researched the determinants and consequences of power, status and resultant influence and together with Jennifer Overbeck and Margaret Neale, published the seminal paper on this topic “Resources Vs. Respect: Social Judgements Based on Targets’ Power and Status Positions” in 2011. In their experiments, they proved that individuals’ level of power and status, combined together, determined how they were perceived by others. While both Power and Status are viewed as positively dominant behaviours, people who had power without status were perceived as cold and dominant, and viewed with resentment by their teams. On the other hand, people who had power with status were considered warm and reasonable, and teams would even accept their difficult decisions without resentment.

Great leaders therefore have both status and power and are able to wield both efficiently. They are simultaneously obeyed and respected, liked and taken seriously all at the same time. While power is granted to them by virtue of the position they occupy, they have achieved status earned over the years through their actions and beliefs, and in the trust they have accumulated. Great leaders also stay grounded, and do not forget that their power and status were gained over years through hard work, genuine care, empathy, and high EQ – and take conscious efforts to nurture and remain true to these qualities. If not, they would lose their influence too.

I do hope you enjoyed reading this one and look forward to starting a conversation on this topic with you. Do write in with your comments and experiences!

Warmest regards, Krishnakumar.

Image courtesy:

Tips for Getting Power, and Keeping It | The Takeaway | WNYC Studios

Reference Sources:

"The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence ,"?Prof. Dacher Keltner

The role social status plays in effective leadership ( unc.edu )

Resources versus respect: Social judgments based on targets' power and status positions - ScienceDirect

Interview with Alison Fragale - UNC Kenan-Flagler. ( youtube.com )

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