Question

What is personal power? Discuss ways you might increase your personal power through the bussines world

300 words no copy and paste

Answer 1

For centuries, philosophers, social scientists, and psychologists have struggled to answer ethical questions regarding the use and misuse of power. They have described both the positive and the negative effects that powerful individuals have had on the business world, politics, religiousmovements, historical events, and the lives of individual members of society.

Power is the ability to influence or change an outcome. Personal power is a source of influence and authority a person has over his or her followers. Where does a person get this power from? In short, the power is determined by his or her followers.

Reward Power- The first type of power we'll discuss is reward power. This is the type of power that is created when a person offers rewards to his or her followers for completing tasks. An example could be if an employee hits her sales goal, she'll win a prize or receive recognition at the company meeting. Reward power needs followers to believe they will be rewarded.

Coercive Power- The second type of power we'll discuss is coercive power. This type of power is the opposite of reward power. When a person possesses this type of power they will impose a penalty if their followers do not act as required. An example could be if an employee doesn't make his sales goals, he'll have to work every saturday for the rest of the month. Coercive power needs followers to believe they will be punished.

Legitimate Power- Legitimate power is power you derive from your formal position or office held in the organization's hierarchy of authority. For example, the president of a corporation has certain powers because of the office he holds in the corporation.

Like most power, legitimate power is based upon perception and reality. It is based on the reality that a person holds a particular position in an organization. It's also based on the perception of an employee that someone holding that position has authority to exert control over her. Legitimate power as a source of authority has one distinct advantage over many other sources of authority, which is that it is usually based upon some objective rule or law of the organization.

There are many ways by which personal power might be increased through the business world. Power comes from ten different sources. It is-

Network Power

Interpersonal Power

Technical/Expert Power

Image Power

Formal Power

Resource Power

Physical Power

Attributes Power

Knowledge Power

Moral Power

In addition, there are ways to increase each of these sources of power, as well as ways to leverage each one so you can get the most out of it.

Network Power- Your network power is who you know. Knowing the right people can vastly increase your sphere of influence. You may have heard the saying that your network is your net worth. This is because other people can do all of the following for you-

-Offer valuable advice;

-Give you important information which keeps you “in the loop”;

-Open your eyes to new opportunities;

-Help you kick start or accelerate your journey toward the achievement of your goals;

-Find new clients, partners with complimentary skills, or potential investors;

-Introduce you to others who may be in a position to help you; and so on.

Here are five ways to increase your network power-

- Create a personal networking plan.

- Work on your networking skills. You can read books on networking, attend seminars, and/or do research online.

- Write down your goals and identify who you need to know in order to achieve those goals. Then, get to work on finding ways to meet those people.

- Target networking opportunities that best fit your needs and personality.

- Position yourself as a resource to others

Interpersonal Power- Your interpersonal power is your ability to get along with and influence others. It’s related to your “likeability” index. Obviously, the more likeable you are, the more interpersonal power you have. In addition, the more persuasive you are, the greater your interpersonal power.

Here are five ways to increase your interpersonal power-

- Work on becoming more charismatic.

- Work on becoming more conscientious.

- Work on your communication skills.

- Work on improving your nonverbal communication.

- Acquire negotiation and conflict resolution skills.

Expert Power- Expert power comes from your technical abilities, skills, competence, and experience at your job, ventures, the roles that you play, and so on. If you have some particular skill or expertise that others value, then you will have power over the people who want or need that particular expertise. Here are 5 ways ti increase expert power-

- Hone your skills and work to perfect your craft.

- Keep up with changes in your career/industry/area of expertise.

- Become a thought leader in your area of expertise. One way to do this is to get published in respected journals.

- Compete for awards and other forms of recognition that are highly visible to others.

- Teach your skills to others, whether it’s by blogging, creating courses or tutorials, writing a book, or getting a teaching position at a school or college.

Image Power- Your image power is how much power others perceive you have, whether that perception is based on truth or not. Although one can argue that image is superficial, it’s powerful. The world judges people not for who they are, but for who they seem to be. Here are five ways to increase your image power-

- Take control of your image – decide how you want others to see you and then craft your image so that they start seeing you that way.

- Build your personal brand and reputation.

- Look the part.

- Work on your game face – even if things are not going the way you want them to, other people don’t need to be made aware of this fact.

- Curate carefully what you post on social media.

Official Power- Your official power is the power that comes from your role and level within an organizational hierarchy, as well as within key projects and committees. It’s the authority that comes inherent in a job title and role. Here are five ways to increase your official power-

- Actively seek to get a promotion at work;

- Ask to be made the Project Manager of any project that you’re working on with others;

- Look for ways to be made leader of any committees you’ve been assigned to;

- Run for the presidency of any group that you belong to, whether it’s a Gardening Club, your city’s Chamber of Commerce, or your Rotary Club.

- Run for public office.

Resource Power- Resource power is the extent to which you get your personal power from the resources that you control. Resource power can come from access to money, property, information, tools and equipment, and other assets which can help you to achieve your goals. 5 ways to increase it are-

- Look for ways to acquire more resources.

- Increase your earning potential.

- Learn how to get a better return on your investment on the resources at your disposal.

- If you have few assets at your disposal, learn to be more resourceful.

- Look for ways to get others to allow you to use their resources.

Physical Power- Physical power is the extent to which your personal power comes from your physical characteristics. Like it or not, this aspect remains potent. Look at the following-

- Attractive people are more likely to be employed;

- They earn more;

- It’s more likely that they’ll be approved for loans;

- They’re perceived as being more competent;

-They’re thought of as being more trustworthy; and

- They marry attractive and highly educated people.

Fortunately, there are ways to increase your physical power, even if you didn’t win the genetic lottery when it comes to good looks. The 5 ways are-

- Eat well and exercise so that you look healthy and fit.

- Be well groomed.

- Make the most of your looks – wear clothes that flatter your shape and accentuate your best parts (and minimize the not-so-great-ones).

- Be energetic – people who exude confidence, joy, and enthusiasm are highly attractive.

- Project strength by the way in which you carry yourself.

Attribute Power- Your attribute power refers to personal characteristics which make you more powerful, such as your intellect, grit, confidence, determination, and resilience. Look at the following and ask yourself which person is more likely to get support from others when they’re striving to achieve a goal-

- Someone who has shown grit and resilience in the past.

- Someone who gives up easily and has a tendency to leave things half-done.

Five ways to increase your attribute power-

- Create a personal development plan.

- Ask yourself what your goals are and what attributes you need to achieve those goals.

- Read personal development books and blogs.

- Follow Benjamin Franklin’s lead and develop your character.

- Develop positive habits and drop negative habits.

Knowledge/Education Power- Knowledge and education power come from your level of education and the quality of the educational institutions that you attended. Your educational credentials can open many doors for you. In addition, people tend to respect those who have a good education. Five ways to increase your knowledge/education power-

- Go back to school and get an advanced degree.

- Enroll at Harvard’s Extension School or take continuing education programs.

- Get certified in an area that will help you in your field.

- Find other ways to show that you’re committed to lifelong learning.

- Create a portfolio showcasing your knowledge and skills.

Moral Power- Your moral power is derived from your perceived moral stature. It affects how you’re perceived, as well as your ability to persuade and affect the actions of others. In essence, moral power is your ability to convince others that what you’re asking them to do is morally just. 5 ways to increase your moral power-

- Volunteer.

- Start a nonprofit.

- Build a reputation as someone who has strong values and lives up to those values.

- Champion a worthy cause.

- Donate money to charities.

Moral power is often not given its proper due, but it’s an important factor in social life.