Power

be Eduardo del Buey

Power

Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once wrote that mastering others is strength, while mastering yourself is true power.

Power, like everything else in the universe, has no morality. It can be used for good or evil – its morality depends on the values and ethics of the user and the how power is used.

Mastering others is to seek power over them.

This is a function of the ego – one over the other.

The ego can manage things in a variety of ways, but mostly, it manages them for the advantage of the one in power.

And this limits the positive effects that the exercise of power can have over those who exert it and those who suffer it.

Mastering yourself is sublimating your emotions and allowing positive feelings to emerge in their stead. It is a function of the soul – that divine spark that exists in each of us and that can serve as a guide if we allow it.

Power exerted from the soul leads one to seek a positive effect of this energy on the one who holds it and the on those whom they manage.

Benjamin Disraeli used to quip that power has one duty – to secure the social welfare of the people.

Brought down to a micro level, power is a shared element of behavior. It is a give and take, not simply a take. The objective of the positive use of power should always be to enhance both parties in the relationship.

Former British Foreign Secretary Aneurin Bevan once said that the purpose of gaining power is to give it away.

This is not a naïve vision.

When I was being interviewed for a senior international management job, the Secretary General asked me how I used managerial power. I replied that I allowed my staff to fly as high and far as they could in their own way with minimal ground control.

Not to do things my way, but to feel empowered to meet the results in their own way, using their own talents, wisdom, and experience, using my presence only to provide ideas when they got stuck.

(By the way, I got the job, and my team’s performance was brilliant).

I believe that the fundamental purpose of power is to empower – to empower others to develop to the best of their abilities.

Nelson Mandela once told a reporter that it is wise to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own idea.

Seneca once taught that they who have great power should use it lightly.

Not to run things by fear but through the judicious use of trust and respect.

You may ask why we are all the masters of our fate, the captains of our souls? Because we have the power to control our thoughts. To channel our actions in whichever direction we want. To manage others like human beings rather than chattel.

Indeed, Aristotle once said that what lies in our power to do also lies in our power not to do.

The choice is ours.

Anyone can be governed by their emotions.

Anger, fear, inadequacy, lack of self-respect, or an overwhelming sense of self-importance can all lead to unfortunate behaviors that diminishes our power because the reaction of those whom we would rule is fear rather than respect.

Fear may be a motivator in the short term, but it emasculates the fearful and leads to a reduction of productivity. It attacks their self-respect and curtails initiative and saps their energy. Thus, the power that could have been used to motivate and empower is now wasted in efforts to control and suppress.

Power driven by ego is not a means, it is an end. Once in your possession, it is difficult if not impossible to give up.

Power driven by heart and soul is a means.

It is a means to an end, towards a sharing of responsibility and rewards, success and pleasure, learning and consolidating knowledge and experience.

As a means to a positive end, power of the soul is indeed a desirable trait to use. It helps others develop their potential, helps society advance in a more equitable manner, and provides you with tools that enhance your ability to know yourself at a deeper level and allow those under your direction to do so as well.

And there is no better legacy than to be a mentor to even just one person, and enjoy both the process and the result.