The Downfall of Power Hoarding Leaders

Leadership is not about controlling or having more power than those below you in the corporate environment. In many cases, a leader who abuses their power over their team and organization will inevitably build a poor reputation. This can be demonstrated through high turnover, low retention, or difficulty filling open positions. Additionally, this power hungry leadership style can harm generations of future talent by fostering an ineffective model of leadership that is centered on generating and retaining power. Unfortunately, many leaders who have power regrettably hoard it like the dragons of medieval legends.

It seems like such a wasted opportunity to view the opportunity to lead others with a scarcity mindset. This idea that there isn't enough to go around and that we need to desperately hold on to it. Instead, if we viewed leadership as our chance to elevate and inspire others to reach their goals. To advocate for and provide our teams with the tools they (and the organization) needs to be successful. In order to be an effective leader, one must possess empathy, integrity, and an understanding of the environment in which they are leading. This understanding of the environment allows a leader to anticipate changes and prepare accordingly.

Empathy allows a leader to understand the wants and needs of their team, while integrity ensures that they will always act with the best interests of those they lead in mind. Having this understanding, the leader can then equip their team with the right tools and skills to help them achieve their goals. If a leader shows empathy and integrity in how they lead their team, it will create an environment where everyone is respected and can trust their leader. This type of atmosphere allows a leader to make decisions that are beneficial to everyone involved and anticipate any potential shifts in customer needs or the industry overall.

Ambition and drive are exceptionally strong skills to help propel individuals to acquire formal power and authority in organizations. However, when given the reins, how are you using that power? Is it power over your team that motivates you? Or is it sharing that power with your team that helps drive your collective goals forward?