A GoodTherapy.org Featured Column written by Cedar Barstow, M.Ed., C.H.T.

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I have been paying attention to the power paradox phenomenon since I was introduced to it by Dacher Keltner (www.greatergood.org). Having researched and studied who gets power and how they use it when they get it, Keltner learned that “the skills most important to obtaining power and leading effectively are the very skills that deteriorate once we have power.” These are qualities of modesty, empathy, engagement with the needs of others, skill in negotiating conflicts, enforcing norms, and allocating resources fairly. Given that years of social and brain research support the understanding that empathy and altruism are human birthrights, it is surprising (and clarifying) to me to discover that “once people assume positions of power, they’re likely to act more selfishly, impulsively, and aggressively, and they have a harder time seeing the world from other people’s points of view.” (Keltner) You can read more about these studies at www.greatergood.org (Greater Good Magazine, Vol. IV, Issue 3) and on pages 244-247 of my book: Right Use of Power: The Heart of Ethics available at www.rightuseofpower.com.

For those in power differential roles of trust and authority, and all of us are in positions of enhanced power in some areas of our lives, it is extremely important to understand this tendency for inborn empathy and the most effective leadership qualities and skills to deteriorate when we are in positions of power. We have good intentions. We earn power by the socially intelligent use of it. Yet when we get more power, we tend to become more vulnerable to misusing power. When we understand this tendency, we are at great advantage as leaders because we can be extra alert for changes in ourselves and self-correct around them.

Now, why does “power corrupt”? I give four conjectures on page 246-247 of Right Use of Power. I want to talk about three of these in relation to some actions on the part of President Obama.

1) Because of the impact of the power differential, those in power-up role are removed and may remove themselves from the checks and balances of the feedback loop in which people tell each other either directly or indirectly about their impact both positive and negative. When in power-down position, it is perceived and may truly be too risky to offer negative feedback. The power-up persons then don’t hear the negatives and either or both lose their ability to reality check and feel immune to the usual consequences of abuse of power. /// I was encouraged to hear the President –elect speak more than once about his concern about being shut off from the experience of ordinary folk by having to live in a protected bubble. I trust this means Obama understands the importance of staying in the feedback loop. This feedback loop includes not only ordinary citizens, but those who disagree. There must be no actual or implied loss of status for disagreeing. I read reports that differences are sought and treated with respect in the new administration. In another example of understanding the importance of the feedback loop for accountability, the President has already put in place changes that will make government and bail-out companies policies and expenditures more transparent.

2) People tend to over-identify with their power role, experiencing their enhanced power in a privileged or skewed way. This leads to grandiosity and an unrealistic sense of Self. Remember the (paraphrased) statement: Because the President says so, it is right… It was refreshing to hear President Obama recently say publically that he “screwed up”. He apologized, and then self-corrected for thinking that there were two sets of values, one for politicians and another one for ordinary people who must pay their taxes. He caught himself losing his perspective and misusing his power. This is rare and good news.

3) People in power-up are also embedded in systems in which it is difficult to act alone and which become invisible even (or especially) to those in the system. These systems support or even mandate particular behaviors that may contribute to right or wrong uses of power. Systems are very complex because members usually are aware of only one or several pieces of the system. Embedded systems and their incumbent power dynamics are extremely challenging to change. We are painfully aware of the complex, flawed and deeply entrenched economic systems that we are desperately needing to shift. One very small but significant move that announces a change in direction is President Obama’s announcement of a mandatory salary cap of $500,000 for executives in any company receiving government bailout funds.

Once again, here’s the power paradox: “Power is given to those individuals, groups, or nations who advance the interests of the greater good in socially-intelligent fashion. [Yet] what people want from leaders—social intelligence—is what is [often] damaged by the experience of power.”(Keltner) It is, therefore, critically important for leaders and professionals to understand this paradox in order to be alert and to take action to undermine it’s effects. This means staying in touch, working both from the top down and the bottom up, owning and being sensitive to your role power, being accountable through transparency, admitting and self-correcting for mistakes, advocating for the common good.

©Copyright 2009 Cedar Barstow, M.Ed., C.H.T. All Rights Reserved. Permission to publish granted to GoodTherapy.org. The following article was solely written and edited by the author named above. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the following article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment to this blog entry. Click here to contact Cedar and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile