Smart Power
April 7th, 2009 |
A GoodTherapy.org Featured Column written by Cedar Barstow, M.Ed., C.H.T.
Click here to contact Cedar and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile
“When the generativity and responsiveness of our power is guided by loving concern for the well-being of all, we will have an ethical and sustainable world. Power directed by heart. Heart infused with power. This is the key to right use of power.” ~ Cedar Barstow
“Ethics is the ongoing process of applying principles of higher intelligence to the problems of personal and collective existence, and endowing life with values that support the well-being of all. Ethics is the care we show in affecting the lives of others as well as a sense for where one’s greatest value lies in relation to others. Ethics might be summarized as cause and effect in balance, and applied for the greatest good.” ~Glenda Green
Power and how to use it is in the news. The common concept of power as force with any other use being considered weak and naïve is breaking down and evolving up. Studies (www.nonviolent-conflict.org) conclude “that major nonviolent campaigns have achieved success 53 percent of the time, compared with 26 percent for violent resistance campaigns.” Other studies show that altruism and basic goodness are hardwired in human nature. (Shankar Vedantam, 5/27/07. Washington Post; and Cedar Barstow. (2008). Right Use of Power: The Heart of Ethics, pp. 240-244.)
President Obama and Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy paradigm focuses on “smart power” (a term coined by Harvard Professor, (Howard Nye, 12/4/08. www.HuffingtonPost.org) to describe the effective use of “hard” power and “soft” power. “There is now out-front talk about how attracting people to another set of possibilities that meet their needs is the only way to win the war on terrorism….and that the least possible violence is rule one.” (Elizabeth Cogburn, personal communication 12/6/08) Smart Power acknowledges the strength and effectiveness of focusing on peaceful global negotiations. This is akin to my Right Use of Power approach advocating the use of power with heart, combining strength with compassion. Even right use of “soft power” requires compassion and action toward the common good, because even non-violence can be manipulated to be self-serving.
Going deeper, I want to speak about discernments in the crucial balance between being forceful and being collaborative in the use of personal and professional power. Power, by definition, is simply, the ability to have an effect or to have influence. Ethics is concerned with being in right relationship with those whom your power affects or influences. Kathryn Alexander (personal communication 2/3/08) has a useful model that she uses with her business clients. She names three different uses of power within an organization: manipulative, influential, and appreciative. Expanding on her model, I find that there is both “good news” and “bad news” in each of these uses. The names I give them are: forceful, directive, and collaborative.
FORCEFUL. There are times when the use of force is required and when being accepting would be a misuse of power. Organizations and professions need rules, codes, and emergency procedures. Further, they need to be able to take decisive actions to enforce these for the protection of all. However, the use of force when it is not appropriate tends to beget anger, revenge, resentment, and disempowerment. Habitual use of force by leaders does not inspire co-operation and creativity.
DIRECTIVE. This is the use of leadership influence. Leaders and professionals, because of the enhanced perspective that accompanies their power differential role, do have a larger view of the Whole. People need the direction and inspiration that comes from this view. The bad news, of course, is that, as a leader or professional habitually using directive power, your influence tends to depend on and thus be limited by how well you are liked. Morale and commitment to the whole may become ephemeral.
COLLABORATIVE. This is truly smart power and works best for the common good because it engages clients or members of a group, in a common vision which leads to increased creativity, co-operation, and empowerment that is not dependent on force or top-down direction. The bad news is that is force and direction are not also appropriately used, the organization or professional relationship can flounder or sink in chaos and inactivity.
I’m guessing that you could give numerous examples of situations in which the overuse of one of these three uses of power has created an organizational or relationship disaster. When informed by compassion and concern for the common good, all three—forceful, directive, collaborative— are right uses of power. Compassion and concern for the common good, are the magical ingredients. To increase your skillfulness and ethical sensitivity, focus on discernment about the appropriate balance of uses of power using your awareness and compassion as guidance.
©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
12 comments so far
What a wonderful article. The breakdown of the three names really opened my eyes to the different powers.
I enjoyed reading about the Three powers and I guess with the good you also have the bad. I agree, as long as you have compassion and caring, that is what really counts.
I agree that Obama has smart power but like you said, there is a bad side… What if some things, like the stimulus doesn’t work out at the end of the year and then Obama has to face that issue.
Collaboration will be the power force that will prove to wprk time and again. There is no one out there who wants to feel bullied and pressured into doing something. But when you go into a situation willing to make your strong points but be willing to compromise at the same time that opens up a whole other dimension of bargaining power and makes both sides feel better about the outcome. Willingness to work together instead of breaking out the iron fists is what will get everyone what they desire in the end.
I like how Glenda Green describes Ethics here. Right to the point and a very good one at that.
I too believe you get more results if you work together and include other people. It makes them feel as if they are part of the team. I hate it when someone uses their authority and it’s because they said so and that’s they way it is. you will get more from me if you treat me as an equal.
For too long now there have been too many world leaders who have ruled by force and not by collaboration. We see what a great situation that has gotten all of us into don’t we? The same could be said of our own homes. For those of us who refuse to collaborate and work with our spouses and other family members in a positive way are destined to live in a sad environment. There is no reason to have to be in control all of the time. Sometimes it is best just to let go and enjoy the ride. The need to use force and always be in control is hurtful to others and does not equate into the quality of lifestyle that most of us are looking for. We have seen this happen in the world- why not apply these same lessons to the homefront as well?
I am in a directive power position at work, where I have a lot of control over a lot of other employees. But you are so right by pointing out that a lot of how much power I can wield depends largely on how much others in the office do or do not like me. It does get me down sometimes when I realize that people may not be doing the things that I need for them to get done just because it is very personal and they do not like me as a a person. It may have nothing to do with the ideas I am trying to implement only how they are feeling about me at a specific point in time.
I really do feel for the authority figures that have people down you and dislike you, for the only reason because they have authority. I believe these individuals who are over someone else and have a direct power over other people, take a lot of crap, just because they are in that higher employment.
I grew up in a forceful household and that caused me to be the same way in my own home. I do not like it but that was how I was trained and even why I try to do things differently I always find myself back in that forceful position and way of handling things. It is the only way that I know. My kids I know hate me for that. How do I make that change to be a more collaborative person instead of what I am?
This comment is from someone (Rich) who gets my Right Use of Power Newsletter. I thought it might be of interest to the dialogue: Just got your newsletter. Wanted to add a couple thoughts before they disappear into the ether.
Forceful use of power is most effective when the people who are being “forced” agree to give the power to someone(s) else. Thus the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship. It is also more effective when the people feel that their input is heard an considered.
Collaborative power requires patience and time as well as skills. The skills are what we are teaching and learning about. Sometimes it is difficult to act collaboratively. A good example would be the current attempts to impact the economy. Or 9/11. Where a decision seems to be needed asap and not enough time for collaboration.
I am curious about what you said Todd. When you say forceful do you mean you shout and make your point known and stand your ground, give your children very limited or hardly any freedom or do you use physical force to handle their disobedience? If it is the latter you need to see a therapist to get rid of a violent nature.