Friday, January 20, 2012

"Power over" leaders vs. "Power with" leaders

I have been catching up on some readings for my graduate work, and came across this interesting comparison.  

Are you a "power over" leader or a "power with" leader? 

'Power over' leaders, enjoy being in charge and having power over the people within their organization.  They cannot relinquish control, and care very little about what their subordinates have to say.  These authoritarian organizations can be productive, but their work climate is very toxic.  Very little innovation takes place, and more than likely there is a large amount of turnover.  

'Power with' leaders, view people as an asset and use them to further their vision.  This type of leader is collaborative by nature, seeks out his followers for help in decision making.  'Power with' leaders see the importance of empowering others and view relationships as key to the success of the organization.  

Bill Burkhead had a great tweet the other day that relates well to this post.  He tweeted, "The best principals are not heroes; they are hero makers." Roland Barth 

As leaders we should be in the shadows, allowing others to take credit for the success of the organization.  


What type of a leader are you?  




No comments:

Post a Comment