The understanding and comprehension of leadership, power and influence is not a new concept in today’s society as we know it. Look at talk shows, the Internet and various journals and magazines, you will find various articles, conversations, and debates. These intellectual information exchanges about leaders have gone on for years and years dating back as early as 1513 by the Italian diplomat, historian and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli who raised the question of whether it is better to have a relationship based on love (personal power or as I see it influence) or on fear (position power). To date, this argument is still a center piece of many conversations. Great leaders have mastered how to use power and influence to create a leadership identity that subordinates believe in and are willing to follow whether it is morally right or wrong. When we think power and influence we often think of leaders with virtuous objectives. However, some of the most memorable leaders who were able to use power and influence have changed the history of the world. With that statement, many would not realize I am referring to Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Pol Pot. In the textbook Leadership in Organizations…8th editions, author Gary Yukl makes it very clear that understanding leadership power and influence is not a simple endeavor. Various concerns must be taken into consideration for a leader to be successful. Not only must a leader look at the internal and external environment, they must take into consideration themselves, subordinates, peers and even their bosses.
It is a well-known belief that everyone possesses and exercises some type of power in their professional and personal. Personally, I would like to think I have a solid understanding of what type of power and influence I possess and I understand the nature of the source. I have learned that Expert and Informational Power fit my personality very well. The nature of both is based on me being able to combine my life experience with my in-depth education. I often find myself using both powers to support my opinions and thoughts during conversations, during lectures and during various confrontations. I also use them in my personal life; sometimes the outcome is good and sometimes the outcome is not so good. The good is when dealing with my kids and on the flip side my wife tells me I will try to manipulate arguments by focusing on certain words said by others to prove someone wrong. As individuals components, I think I lean more on expert power; using my gained knowledge as a subject matter to influence others. I also use this type of power to influence situations at work because I do not currently hold a supervisory position.
After enrolling in this course I have even come to realize that I am using this course to increases my expert power and credibility. Just a I use both listed powers to lead, I have also learned to use them as a follower. I have learned to listen and learn, enhancing my type of power and influence. Like they say, to lead one must learn to follow. When it comes to peers, I find myself withholding information for my own needs. I have even been told that I possess knowledge that others need or want, but I know I am not willing to share that information freely. Although it may seem selfish, I feel that individuals need to go through the same steps I did to gain that credibility and status. As far as addressing the question of having experienced high quality LMX situations within my current workplace, I would have to say no. My current organization is so cold and rigid; this type of relation between leader and member would be considered suspicious more than anything.
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