To be powerful, our first step is learn to tell it apart from force. The difference is difficult to describe but easy to see. We can see it here:
Force is loud, power is always quiet.
Force damages, power aligns.
Force creates losers, power creates only winners.
Force causes mistakes, power corrects them.
Force drains us, power uplifts us.
It’s actually force that does the corrupting.
Force looks quick and inexpensive; it is actually wasteful and costly. Power is efficient.
Force tries to masquerade as power. It arises when we feel powerless or feel the fear of powerlessness.
Force fades, power endures.
Once we can tell power from force, we can build trust, know that we can handle anything, and navigate by curiosity. We can also align ourselves and others with compelling goals, play for win-win or choose not to play, and nurture just the right quantity and scope of systems to support our goals.
Be powerful, good leader.
In your corner,
Mike