Leadership and Power

Leadership and Power
Gary C
June 26, 2008

















Leading Change
Leadership is about getting people to change, about inspiring, helping, and sometimes  enhancing change in people. While there can be effective management without a vision, there can be no true leadership. There needs to be both. “The old proverb says that leadership is doing the right thing; management is doing things right.” (Leadership vs. management, 2007)."
    There is a direct correlation between the way people view their managers and the way they perform “(Leadership vs. management, 2007). Strong leadership is needed for shaping a group of people into a force that serves as an advantage in business.
The five leadership traits are: Honesty, because people want to follow an honest leader. The second trait is forward-looking because the whole point of leadership is figuring out where to go from the starting point to the finish. While you may know where you want to go, people will not see that unless you actively communicate it with them. When a leader does not have a vision for the future, it  usually because they are spending so much time on today, that they have not thought  about tomorrow. This can be solved simply by setting aside some time for planning, strategizing, and thinking about the future. Many times when a leader has no time to think and plan, the leader is doing a poor job of leading in the present. He or she has created an organization and systems that rely too much on the leader for input at every stage or micro-management (Sullivan, Decker, 2006).
    The third trait is competency because people want to follow someone who is competent. This does not mean a leader needs to be the foremost expert on every area of the entire organization, but they need to be able to demonstrate competency. The fourth trait is inspiring because people want to be inspired. In fact, people will follow an inspiring leader--even when the leader has no other qualities.
The fifth trait is intelligence. Intelligence is something that can be difficult to
develop. The road toward becoming more intelligent is difficult, long, and cannot be completed without investing considerable time. Developing intelligence is a lifestyle choice. Your college graduation was the beginning of your education not the end. In fact, much of what is taught in college functions merely as a foundational language for lifelong educational experiences.
    By consciously making an effort to use these traits, people will be more likely to follow you. These are the most important traits that people look for in their leaders. By showing the traits on a regular basis, you will be able to grow your influence to its potential as a leader.
    According to Clark, 1977, para 34, [Management is ensuring that plans and policies are implemented properly. It includes giving instructions and inspecting the accomplishment of a task.
    Getting people to accomplish something is much easier if they have the inspiration to do so. Be passionate. Get your employees involved in the decision making process. Know what your organization's vision is stating.
Power is much more than the use of force, power is influencing people to want to achieve a goal.
    Coercive Power is power based on fear. A person with coercive power can make things difficult for people. These are the persons who you want to avoid getting angry. Employees working under coercive managers are unlikely to be committed, and more likely to resist the manager. Reward Power is compliance achieved based on the ability to distribute rewards that others view as valuable. The person with reward power is able to give special benefits or rewards to people. You might find it advantageous to trade favors with him or her. Legitimate Power is the power a person receives because of his or her position in the formal hierarchy of an organization. The person has the right, considering his or her position and your job responsibilities, to expect you to comply with legitimate requests. Expert Power is influence based on special skills or knowledge. This person earns respect by experience and knowledge. Expert power is most strongly related to effective employee performance. Referent Power is influence based on possession by an individual or desirable resources or personal traits. You like the person and enjoy doing things for him or her].
    In dealing with non-nursing departments, a combination of the different types of powers may be used depending on the situation. Stating facts and revealing you are an expert in your field would be most beneficial when dealing with non-nursing departments. Reward power may also be useful as favors could be traded between departments to achieve a goal that is a win-win situation for both departments. Legitimate power may also be used depending where the departments stand in the hierarchy of the organization. The different bases of power are used in order to achieve a result that would be beneficial to both departments.



























References

Clark, D., 1997. Leading and leadership. Retrieved on July 07, 2007 from

         http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadled.html

Leadership vs. Management, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2007 from

         http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/leadership_vs_mgmt.                   html

Sullivan, E. J., & Decker, P. J. (2005). Effective leadership and management in nursing. Upper

Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.