You've Got the Power

One of the worst things I see in business is when people accumulate power without the discomfort, business battle scars or experience of having had to earn the power.

The problems with powerful people being power gifted rather than being power earned is they don’t respect the power, the process, or the people. They believe that power comes with great privilege rather than great responsibility. Worst yet, they think they have arrived through their own efforts and now think highly of themselves and less of everybody else. They indiscriminately abuse their power on the people and ignore the process. The power becomes an intoxicating drug and as with drugs, its never enough so in lieu of product or purpose, they seek popularity and politics. The business struggles but the power gifted people always seem to separate themselves from accountability. They have to because they can’t accomplish the tasks for which they are now responsible for nor do they understand why on earth anybody would hold them accountable when they are so special. Power gifted people are concerned with their job title and have little or no concern for their job description. They love being introduced by their title and have glorious business cards, and require their picture under the About Us section of the company website. They boss people around because they are the blah, blah job title. Being that they have attained power through popularity their tentacles are personally embedded throughout the organization. They love things and use people and prefer to leave an impression rather than an impact. The false perception is they are vital to the organization but it only lasts as long as they work for somebody that has been manipulated. It’s a great advantage to be politically aligned. The day after the power gifted people depart the organization the employees secretly celebrate and the business misses nothing because the power gifted people didn’t do much anyway. These people are concerned with perceptions, politics, and popularity. I have witnessed multiyear careers based on such symbolism with no substance. I actually envy the level these people can attain by way of manipulation. I have always had more respect for myself than to attain such levels by accomplishing so little. The funny thing about the power gifted is they don’t believe they are power gifted. All people in power believe they earned it. The only people that can identify the power gifted are the power earned and the powerless. The power earned because they endured the sacrifice to obtain success and the powerless because they know that true power respects those without it.

People that earn power respect the power, the process and the people. Power earned people understand that power comes with great responsibility not privilege. People that earned power know that it took the assistance of other people in order for them to now wield great power. They are hesitant to use the power and more inclined to lead people by the purpose of the organization. They don’t seek power because they realize the tremendous responsibility that accompanies it, however the purpose the perpetuate garners them more power by default. Power earned is a burden rather than a reward. These people are largely concerned with their job description and have no time for their job title. At times, their glorious title embarrasses them. They earn the respect of the people because of what they accomplish, not where they fall on the organizational chart. They love people and use things and prefer to leave an impact, not just an impression. Power earned people are more concerned with the company representation of the website than the About Us section. The business thrives and yet no one can explain the source of the success because the people are so synchronized, they appear as one. Great leaders know that the whole system would eventually come crashing down with the departure of the power earned. I say, eventually, because the power earned people have empowered and mentored so many behind them that the legacy and the culture they have embedded in the organization continues well after their departure. Yet most business leaders begin to believe they never needed the power earned people as the business continues on after them but over time the organization loses its identity without them.

Power Gifted                                             Power Earned

Perception                                                   Purpose 

Politics                                                        Production

Job Title                                                       Job Description

About Us                                                      Lead Generation

Seeks Power                                                Understands Responsibility

Organizational Chart                                 Organizational Success

Business Survives                                       Business Thrives

Uses People                                                Loves People

Loves Things                                                Uses Things

Symbolism                                                   Substance

Privilege                                                       Responsibility

Impressions                                                 Impact

I have a tendency to believe that everybody reading this that has power in business believe they are in the right column but consider the following. Are you in a position that took others years to obtain? Do you have a close personal relationship with somebody in power above you? When you compare your resume and experience among your peers does yours come up wanting? If you can answer yes to these questions then congratulations, you have been power gifted. Like a teenager’s life your career is meaningless fun. You have the privilege without having to concern yourself with the responsibility or respect. Having never been much of a diplomat I have never had the joy of arriving at a place of elevation without enduring the climb. Being that your climb was easy I honestly doubt there is much help for you. Your manipulation has served you well so why would you want to change what got you where you are? Its not a purpose driven life or even a life that one day you will be proud of living but having never accomplished advancement via manipulation I simply don’t know, I could be wrong. The litmus test for this is when your relationship that errantly granted you power moves on and you are left working for somebody else. If you don’t change your ways you will find yourself unemployed.

Some of you live in a world where others believe you are power gifted but are actually power earned. You have actually spent the time in the trenches of business life, earned your scars, and have advanced on your own but you have a personal relationship with the boss so others treat you like you are power gifted instead of power earned. These people are as rare as a unicorn but I have witnessed it firsthand. I can only encourage you to stay the course. Its not your responsibility to constantly divulge your resume or verbally convince others your arrival in a place of power is due to your effort, experience, and production but in time the people will know you by your work ethic instead of your relationship. Unfortunately, you have to work harder because you have to disprove yourself power gifted before proving yourself power earned. Don’t try to fix this in a week. Give it time, when you build it, they will come.

Then there are those that are power earned. Your problem is you have battle scars of business to earn your arrival only to find some of your peers have come through it completely unscathed and inexperienced. You continue to witness the manipulation that has advanced the power gifted and you find it disturbing and defeating the organization. In the past I have but over time I have come to appreciate one’s ability to manipulate their way to the top. Consider it takes certain skills to be able to balance the lies and deceit over many years to advance a career without substance. I have learned to admire the politicians in business that can continue to make poor decisions and not get pinned with the outcome. Its not a skill that I personally desire to acquire but it is a skill, nonetheless. The problem is you want to bring it to light to the powerful person being manipulated but this only damages your own standing. Presenting facts, timelines, and accountability to a powerful person that has advanced somebody solely because of relationship only makes the powerful person see you with great angst. It’s easier for them to believe a lie than to believe they have been lied to because nobody wants to believe a close personal friend has manipulated them. So its prudent for the power earned to stand down, continue to execute and quietly revel in the fact that you have the respect and admiration of the people. Doesn’t sound like my best advice but I have never been successful at revealing the power gifted. Like the dark side, the force is strong in them. It takes too much time, effort and will end up distracting you from what’s important. Be patience, eventually it will come to an end.

Folks, I have seen power gifted people go very far in life. For that matter, most of Congress is power gifted but I feel life is far more rewarding when power is earned, rather than gifted. One day all of our careers will end and we will leave a wake of people behind us. The power earned will have a plethora of people that are better off having known them while the power gifted will only have their own life better off because of who they have known.

If you find yourself at a place where you don’t have the power there are two options for you. You can either hope it gets gifted by marrying into it, inheriting it, or politic your way to the top. Or you can produce, live with purpose, learn, and mentor people and feel great reward of changing the lives of those around you. I encourage you to seek the latter but if you have no discipline to improve your abilities the former is most likely a more lucrative path.

Folks, you’ve got the power! The power to decide who you are going to be and if your existence is going to leave impression or an impact. It’s a great time to take stock of the path to your power compared to those around you, inventory whose life you have made better, and see to it those you leave in your past are in a better position having known you. This is absolute power; the power to create better lives for more people.

Leave Nothing To Chance,

David