boss power vs authority
part 1: authority
The ability to motivate people is a form of power. If you think about it - as a boss your job means you have to get people to do things. Your job as a boss comes with authority. But authority isn’t a very strong form of power. Find out how to develop and use your own personal power. I’m going to share what makes some great leaders like Steve Jobs, Bill Clinton and Barack O’Bama so powerful and what you can do to copy this.
This Module is Part of Boss Camp
Boss Camp will show you how to improve employee performance by showing you what they never taught you in school. The program includes topics such as:
- How to motivate employees
- What are bad employee motivators
- What you must do as a manager but isn't on your job description
- How leaders get power
- Management techniques that don't take time
Get The Full Video Transcript Here...
BOSS POWER vs Authority
Why your employees don’t respect your authority - Where true boss power comes from
Typically we think of organizations as hierarchical structures. You do what your boss says and your employees do what you say. Well at least in theory but, people don’t like being told what to do. As a boss you’re the poor guy or gal who’s responsible for your employees output. But your formal role power is not going to get your employees to produce great work. Being a boss requires knowing how to develop and use your own personal power. I’m going to share what makes some great leaders like Clinton and O’ Bama so powerful and what you can do to copy this.
Employee motivation is power
The ability to motivate people is a form of power. If you think about it - as a boss your job means you have to get people to do things. Your job as a boss comes with authority. But authority isn’t a very strong form of power. And sometimes you don’t even have authority over the people you need to motivate. For example I’ve had several jobs where I’ve been working on cross functional project teams - you have to get stuff done but you have no formal authority. And I’ve also worked a lot in divisional businesses. It’s very common in divisional or multi-national businesses to have a central team that have to fly out to another country and get the local management team to do something. Now the challenge is the local management team is more senior than you are. It’s challenging enough to get your own employees to do what you want. It’s even more challenging to get someone more senior than you to do what you want.
Your role power gives you tools to motivate and coerce your employees such as bonuses, performance reviews, promotions and in the most severe cases causing them to lose their job. The bosses that walk around threatening to fire people rule by fear, because they don’t know a better way. When you use authority to force your employees to do something what you typically get is begrudging compliance and unhappy, unsatisfied employees. Not to mention poor work and high employee turnover. Role power is virtually useless against people who don’t respect your authority.
This is one reason why traditional management methods fail with millennials. This is why the traditional management methods aren’t working and why we need to wake up and find a better way. A stronger form of power is your own personal power.
The source of Personal power
Personal power can come from three different areas
Expertise power
Relationship power
Communication power