A manager I know is a rainmaker. He’s a personality, a force to be reckoned with. His success and reputation precede him in the industry and his talents are sought after. He’s everything you’d want for your team, except for his tendency to ignore the needs of those around him.
In this situation, there’s a native power imbalance. Someone with a very high organizational value is forgetting his collaborative skills. And because of his relative position, those that are suffering find themselves accepting it. “Eh,” they say, “What’ll ya do?”
The answer: Gripe. Pollute the team. Disengage.
If you listen closely at the water cooler, the commentary will likely focus less on the actions that the person takes than the attitude he displays while taking it. “He thinks he’s so important.” “Who does he think he is?” “What gives him the right?” Really, they’re talking about the power imbalance.
It’s situations like these that have given power a negative connotation. “Power” conjures up the world of politics, law, major corporations, lobbyists. But there’s just as much power in non-profit fundraising, running a marathon, and curing cancer. Power is about capability. It’s about making things happen. Power is what makes you a successful individual, in both your professional pursuits and life in general.
When you feel yourself reacting negatively to someone, ask yourself where the power lies. Do they have power over you? Do you have power over them? Do you have power to positively impact the situation?
It’s the negative reaction to other people’s power, or the concept of power, or the implications of power — these attitudes separate you from your power.
We don’t grow more successful by sniping at the power of others… only by empowering ourselves.
Is there something in your way? What is in your power to do, today, to get moving again?
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- How to Find a Career Coach: Can a coach help me reach my goals?
- What can you bring to the table? Your whole self
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