“The hands that make mistakes belong to those who work.” – African proverb
One of the facts of life we often shove under the carpet is that many leaders fail. Maybe, we are so disappointed in them we do not want to talk about it. History has taught us that very few leaders manage to create a flourishing society. Many of the good people and intelligent people we push into leadership positions turn out otherwise. And while many reasons are given for their failures, one that often escapes the conversation is how power changes people.
Like the adage goes, “power corrupts.” Research has shown that many of us change with power. We become less sympathetic and we struggle to understand how people could feel so powerless. Power takes a bit out of our empathy. As one author puts it, “when power gets into your head, it shuts out your heart”. That is what happens to many of us. It begins in our homes, in our relationships and we continue with that in our workplaces; and ultimately, when we get into governance positions. Psychologists tell us that the reasons for this power addiction ranges from insecurities about oneself to an entitlement mentality, and to narcissisms, among many others.
Power is a strange concept. Borrowing the words of Arthur Schopenhauer, the German philosopher, we can say “it allows us to do what we wish, but we can only wish what we must”. Sometimes, it makes us feel that we are right, but we do not know that we are. It is scary because we often do not know how to use it. It turns us into artists who must draw freely from their imaginations. And in the words of Albert Einstein, the Jewish physicist, our “imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world”. That is what power feels like.
That is why when people are given power, they instantly realise they can reduce constraints, take decisions quickly and get work done efficiently. And as they take decisions without the constraints the non-powerful experience, they begin to bulldoze their way out of everything. As the adage goes: “practice makes perfect”. They start perfecting the art of taking quicker decisions; and for many, this reduces their empathy. With this benefit, they free themselves from the pressures that exert us to conform. Once out of this, their decisions become more and more in abstract terms, and they care less about the consequences.
That is why some researchers are of the view that power is more freeing than corrupting. With power, a person can really be him or herself without fear. And with that self-manifest, they are less likely to consider the perspective of others in their decisions. They develop a superior-to-others mentality and are more likely to come up with solutions that sound right in their ears and look good in their eyes. They work with ‘my-guts-are-right-about-this,’ even if the consequences are detrimental to their followers. This is because they feel more confident to express themselves fully without worrying about the consequences of their actions or words. And why not? Afterall, being a leader means the masses look up to you for direction and sometimes, inspiration. You could be sending the wrong signal if you showed weakness in your decision-making.
This notion should inspire us in our everyday lives to allow individuals to be themselves so that we can differentiate between good leaders and I-want-power-to-satisfy-my-ego leaders. As much as possible, it behoves on us to create an environment that frees people, instead of forcing them to conform to norms and value systems that make them pretentious. Humans are powerful beings, physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually. It is innate. Sadly, not many of us socialise right to tap into these powerful attributes in our everyday interactions and use them right. We wait till we are given legitimate power before the power inside of us snaps. By that time, it is too late to use it properly and meaningfully.
We need to start harnessing and using the powers within us now and daily, instead of later. When it takes the bestowing of an office to bring it out, it would be too late. And when leaders fail, the consequences are far-reaching. From decreased morale among the population to a massive loss of trust within the system, which negatively impacts our creativity and productivity. Put simply, when leaders fail, the system depresses; and it affects all of us. That is why we have a moral duty to build as many leaders as possible till whoever is bestowed with the title is only a first among equals. It would inspire them to be humble enough to seek for the views of their peers, thereby helping them to formulate holistic visions and make compassionate decisions…
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Kodwo Brumpon is a partner at Brumpon & Kobla Ltd., a forward-thinking Pn African management consultancy and social impact firm driven by data analytics, with a focus on understanding the extraordinary potential and needs of organisations and businesses to help them cultivate synergies that catapult into their strategic growth and certifies their sustainability.
Comments, suggestions and requests for talks and training should be sent to him at kodwo@brumponand kobla.com
