Question

What competencies are most important to you in your use of power? Explain.

Answer 1

In my use of power, these are the competencies which will be most important:

• Demonstrates Strong Ethics and Provides a Sense of Safety: I, as a leader, upholding the standards that my company represents. I motivate my employees to act in a fair and balanced way in all their business transactions. I am treating all individuals and customers with respect, and communicate about the importance of honesty in all business dealings. I do, I am contributing to my employees’ sense of safety. A workplace where standards are defined and upheld, and where personal differences are respected, is one where employees can thrive and work together as a team.

• Fosters a Sense of Connection and Belonging: I am a leader who wants to promote a sense of belonging among my employees, this goes beyond simply holding a Holiday party every December I reinforce this sense of connection every day, in all my corporate communications and in my behavior. Walking through my company’s offices each morning and greeting employees by name, asking about their families, and giving them recognition for a job well done all go a long way towards developing a sense of connection in my team. As I do this my employees will not only feel` more appreciated and have improved morale, but improved performance as well.

• Nurtures Growth: I am willing to listen to my managers as they grapple with problems, and do not judge them as they try out new solutions. Sometimes they have to fail to grasp a lesson well. And if they do, help them get back up and try again. My managers will grow in the process, they will trust me as their leader, and they will feel confident they are developing skills as they move forward.

• Empowers Others to Self-Organize: As Giles noted, research has repeatedly shown that empowered teams are more productive and proactive, provide better customer service, and show higher levels of job satisfaction and commitment to their group and organization. I am a leader who hesitates to let people self-organize or resists giving up power.  A leader that is able to do this successfully sets his organization and individuals up for long term success.

• Shows Openness to New Ideas and Fosters Organizational Learning: I want to be the type of leader who shows support and encouragement to employees who come forward with ideas about how to improve processes, save time and money, and make other suggestions that will make the workplace more productive. I also want to foster organizational learning at my company, to give workers the chance to improve themselves, seek opportunities to advance and to acquire new skills. All of these will have an impact on both my operations and my business development. I develop an environment that encourages risk-taking, and that sees failure as an opportunities for lessons and growth, I support employees in their creativity and find that my company is a place where people enjoy their work and thrive in their roles.