success or failureJeffrey Pfeffer’s article, Power Play, in the July-August Harvard Business Review (fee) is interesting and relevant for everyone working inside organizations as well as for those individuals actively engaged in the development of leadership literature and course-work.

Pfeffer tackles the important topic of power.  How to gain it, how to wield it, and in his opinion, why those that actively cultivate power are more effective at driving change and implementing a new strategy.  He also suggests that the leadership literature is soft-selling or ignoring this very real and important part of organizational life.

First, the organizational issues.  Anyone that has been around the block for more than a few minutes recognizes that the flow of power (formal and informal) is what makes organizations move.  Power manifests itself in many ways that don’t involve revolution or underhanded activities.  Consider the ability of one manager to consistently secure plum projects and top performers for her teams.  Or, another manager’s track record at pushing his new programs through the various approval channels and gaining investment support.  Both individuals have cultivated and used power for practical, productive purposes.

I’m refreshed to see the term “Power” in a positive and pro-active light.  It’s often not talked about except in the context of “abuses of.”  Much like politics in the organization, power is a very real and palpable source of performance fuel. It is also something that is actively sought by some that see it as a way forward and upward, while it is eschewed by others that view at as noble to avoid the perceived games and grabs.

Good, relevant content for anyone laboring inside an organization or working on a team.

And while I like what Pfeffer has to see, he most definitely is knocking the chip off of the shoulders of those in the leadership community with his second of three barriers that preclude many people from assembling a power base.

From the article:

Barrier 2: The Leadership Literature:  “Most books by well-known executives and many lectures and courses about leadership should be stamped “Caution: This material can be hazardous to your organizational survival.”  That’s because many leaders touting their careers as models to be emulated gloss over the power plays they used to get to the top.  The teaching on leadership is filled with prescriptions about following your inner compass, being truthful, letting your feelings show, being modest and self-effacing, not behaving in bullying or abusive ways—in short, prescriptions that reflect how people wish those in positions of power behaved. There is no doubt that the world would be a much better place if people were always authentic, modest, truthful and concerned about others, instead of simply pursuing their own aims. But wishing that’s how people behaved won’t make it so.”

I take issue with this one just a bit.  While I don’t claim to have read all of the contemporary literature on leading, I’ve rarely tripped across anything from a substantive leader or writer that spews just the overly sweet and syrupy content the Pfeffer describes in his quote. The issues of building accountability, earning respect and growing credibility as a means of influence (power), making tough calls that affect firms and people (uses of power), and driving results (to gain more credibility, influence and power) are standard fare.  I’m not certain what books or articles that Mr. Pfeffer is reading, but perhaps he should broaden his reach just a bit.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

I like the open discussion on “Power” and its relevance to individuals and organizations.  We’ll have more discussions here on that content.  Mr. Pfeffer definitely gets my nod for drawing it out and even for his well intended (I suspect) but slightly off-target shot at the leadership community. If nothing else, he offers all of us pursuing the development of the next generation of effective leaders, a valuable reminder that we must know and deal with the facts of organizational life.