Power

Power and Leadership

A fundamental feature of leadership is the exercise of power. Therefore, psychologists and researchers have spent decades studying the psychological sources of power in leaders. The major question they ask is: Why do some individuals seek out positions of power, while others actively avoid these same positions? David McClelland answered this question by arguing that the need for power is one of the strongest motives present in leaders. The need for power is the desire to control, influence, and direct others. It differs from person to person. Some people are low in the need for power. These individuals tend to avoid jobs that require them to manage or supervise a group of employees. People high in the need for power tend to seek out leadership positions. These jobs allow them to manifest their need by influencing subordinates to behave in certain ways.

According to McClelland, individuals low in the need for power do not possess the psychological motives that allow for the assertiveness and self-confidence necessary to influence a group of individuals in the direction of desired goals. Individuals high in the need for power possess these psychological motives. McClelland stated that a high need for power can be expressed as personalized power or socialized power. People with a strong personalized power motive tend to be more concerned with their own status and goals, as opposed to those of their followers. They value praise, demand loyalty to their leadership, and tend to exercise power impulsively, thinking only of themselves. In contrast, people with a strong socialized power motive pursue goals that benefit the good of their group. They actively avoid behaviors that might have a negative impact on others or their organization and prefer empowering their followers instead of manipulating them. Individuals high in the need for power must carefully exercise power when they possess it. Toxic leadership often results from a strong personalized power motive. This leads to a failure to appropriately control or inhibit one's power when in a position of leadership.

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