Obtaining Enlightened Power May 20, 2013Career Articles, LeadershipOff

Obtaining Enlightened Power

Clearing your head of outdated notions of power is only half the battle. The other half is clearing your path. 

Here are three ways to turn your mind-change to career-change:

1. Attack the issue head-on. Don’t be afraid to talk about issues of power with your colleagues, your boss and other influential people in the organization. Express your thoughts, your apprehensions – and your ambitions. You might be surprised what you hear in return.

2. Talk to leaders who seem joyful. You know who they are. They take pleasure in their work and their colleagues. They are both highly effective and genuinely gratified by the success of others. Because they lack the insecurities of the authoritarian manager, they will tell you what makes them tick.

3. Find a mentor (or several!). If your organization doesn’t have a formal mentoring program, create and cultivate an informal relationship for sound career advice, help in building relationships and confidence in pursuing challenging growth opportunities.

Collaborating and Influencing: A Personal Scorecard

Do you have it? Can you get it? Take this test to find out:

Each question is worth one point.

Do I motivate others to work with me by…
• Using the informal structure, dynamics and culture of my organization to get things done?
• Actively seeking input in decision-making?
• Showing others how their objectives align with mine?
• Actively contributing to the broader organization or team, compromising on my preferences where necessary?
• Investing in building relationships with others?

Do I facilitate collaboration among others by…
• Bringing people together across boundaries to achieve results as a team and share best practices?
• Actively engaging colleagues to make joint decisions?
• Using understanding of others and self to work more effectively together and actively resolve conflicts?
• Taking calculated risks to advance a collaborative relationship, foregoing personal objectives for the benefit of the group if necessary?

Results
0-3 Points – You still need to work on clearing your head your head a little. No need to fret! Think of others when in a position of power every once in a while and you’ll find your Power Source.
4-6 Points – You are well underway to becoming a leader.
7-9 Points – You are ready to take on the world! You have the qualities of a natural leader!

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