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SESSION 7 LEADERSHIP DILEMMAS

How to build power from peripheral positions?

"Power is the basic energy needed to initiate and sustain action or, to put it another way, the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it” John Gardner

Ana Garcia – GXMBA Nov13

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Strategies to build power base

• Power is considered a positive force continually used to achieve organizational, group and individual goals.

• Some of the strategies to build power base within any organization 1 are described in the following chart:

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1Gain

Expert power

2Seek out

mentors and positive role

models

3Form coalitions

with other groups

4Work

Hard and be a team player

5 Seek council appropriately 6

Be self aware 7

Focus on leadership

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Individual & organizational factors

Organizational Factors

Personal factors

If the power is built from peripheral positions, the organizational factors have weaker influence and therefore the personal factors need to be stronger.

Organizational Factors

Personal factors

Factor Description

CENTRALITY Relationship between positions in a communication network

CRITICALITY Relationship between tasks performed in a work flow process

FLEXIBILITY Amount of discretion vested in a position

VISIBILITY Degree to which task performance is seen by influential in the organization

RELEVANCE Relationship between a task a organizational priorities

Factors increasing position power are (1)

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Building power from peripheral positions

In the both HBS cases, Obama’s and Thatcher’s, power is built from peripheral positions, although both leaders had different leadership styles and convictions. There were common strong personal factors:

1. Hard work, energy and endurance2. Interpersonal competence (Obama’s Charisma,

Thatcher’s “Charm”, empathy, communication skills and eloquence)

3. Increased number of lateral and upwards interactions (with mentors, advisors, voters, collectives...)

4. Flexibility and adaptability to the different environments and positions.

5. Fast response to any opportunity given in order develop relevance in the organization. Graph source 1

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Building power base from core

Building power base from peripheral

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton

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Former First lady

US Senate

Super -delegates

Delegates

- Gained expert power i.e. previous experiences in Senate and work on “South side Chicago”- Seek out positive mentors as John Kerry- Gained lateral and upwards influence. - Seek council appropriately: Axelrod- Formed coalition: glass rooted youngsters network -CHARISMA

Illinois State

Senate

US house of

representatives

Super volunteers

CBC

Obama: The voice of the folk, “the change” and the community politics

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Margaret Thatcher

Building power base from core

Building power base from peripheral

-Gained expert power in the different positions (energy, treasury, education) - Gained lateral and upwards influence. - Worked hard and was a team player (her dedication to duty and career-mindset was outlined many times in the case)- Seek out positive mentor and trusted them i.e. Macleu and Neaves

Oxford GraduatesConserv.Assoc.

Danfort Conserva

tives

Finchley MP

Party Work

ers

House of lords

House of commons

Back bench

Front bench

PrimeMinister

Thatcher: the core conservatism principles & the austerity

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Conclusions

Among Obama and Thatcher there are enduring differences in values, beliefs, perception of reality, and of the US, UK society needs. This is also the reality now days in the organizations and the focus on leadership shall be over these differences.

The road to power is open to those who wish to travel it. However, there are skills and attributes that distinguish the strategic leaders able to use the power effectively.

There are different roads to power, and each one should take the easiest accessible according to his own circumstances. Obama and Thatcher came from middle-class and working class families, this is the reason why they had to “build power from the peripheral positions” while Hillary Clinton as former first lady started from the core.

It can be a more difficult and complex process in advance. However, these both cases have proved to evidence that it is feasible when the leaders have interpersonal competences, work hard, seek the appropriate councils and focus on leadership.

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Sources[1] http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/au-24/michelson.pdf[2] HBS cases[3] http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ndu/strat-ldr-dm/pt4ch17.html