Why Smart Leaders Don't Rely On Their Job Title For Power
"Do it because I'm the boss and I said so" is a type of Formal Power. It's power that comes from having a formal title in the organizational hierarchy. It's common, and it can work sometimes, but saying "I'm the boss" gets old VERY quickly.
It tells employees that "I have power and you don't," and that can be utterly demoralizing and demotivating.
By contrast, good executives are 20% more likely to use Informational Power than supervisors and managers. Informational power comes from delivering compelling reasons and persuasive information about why employees should do something. Informational power is gentle, motivating, and even inspiring. (That's why it's a core part of what I teach in The Leader As Coach course).
How To Get Informational Power
Information power typically comes from two sources:
- Having information that others haven't seen. If you've read the latest industry forecast, and no one else on the team has read it, you've got information that they don't have. And that gives you power.
- Delivering persuasive and compelling reasons why someone should do a particular thing.
Real-Life Example
Scenario: Your company is implementing new technology, and your employees are generally resisting the change.
Option 1: Using Formal Power (Wrong Approach)
Ugh. That doesn't feel very compelling, does it? I can feel myself resisting just out of spite.
Option 2: Using Information Power (Right Approach)
That takes an extra 60 seconds to say, but oh my gosh, that is so much more compelling.
Your Next Steps
Using softer power is ultimately more powerful than issuing commands and directives. It's a key part of developing a "coaching style" of leadership.
And if you want a ready-made toolkit, check out the course The Leader As Coach.
