Power is conveyed through words, body language and energy. Language is an instrument of power. I’m bilingual. My native language is French.
Same words can invoke different meanings, feelings, and ways to influence across my two languages. Cultural differences show up in the choice of words I choose to express ideas, emotions or objectives. Humor radically challenges my ability to laugh or make people laugh with words. Anger makes anyone pick regrettable words. Love letters are sadly underused nowadays.
Words have incomparable power.
Take a look at the words used in our business world, and ask yourself where our leadership style has been rooted in? Has your language been embedded in collaboration, worthiness, vulnerability and recognition? Absolutely not. Business language is historically divisional, conflict prone, scarcity incentivizing and typically emerged from – war, competition, destruction, winning at all costs over others.
The strategy should “crush” goals and competitors. Employees are pushed to “kill it” for “competitive advantage” and unless they “grind” relentlessly, their “heads will roll”. Most define their high achieving selves by the perpetual “hustle”. The company will “undergo a hostile takeover” unless their “market share capture” is successful. We are “priced aggressively”. Our CEO took some “flack”. This strategy will put us “in a financial minefield” This business went “belly up”.
I even see on Instagram many “want to be successful” entrepreneurs reinforce depressive feelings such as “loneliness” as part of the exhaustive “go-getter” busyness and should be revered!? Really?
Isn’t it all very harsh? This language demonstrates the authoritative, grueling and dominating narrative of power over in ways that are demeaning & shaming:
- Power over employees
- Power over the competition
- Power over change and challenges
Consequently, Power is perceived as negative.
Winning as the only outcome.
Business has been severely underestimated as merely transactional, even though its success is made possible by people. People are burned out. People have come last. People have experienced unnecessary casualties as though they were part of a war.
Now is the time to re-think and re-work how we use, express and exert Power for the world we desperately want to be part of…
The world that values collaboration in favor of win-win solutions.
The world that values differences as a cause for celebration.
The world that values people thriving so they are inspired to generate profit.
A world built by people who value Business as a magnifying tool to create sustainable processes and thriving results, not as a weapon to dominate, lessen or eliminate “other”.
Power With does not require anyone to lose in order for someone else to win.
Power With is leveraging everyone’s strengths toward a common purpose.
Power With goes beyond profit by recognizing that truly triumphant Business meets at the intersection of impact and higher purpose.
Effective Leadership starts with accountability: WE are the change we want to see in the world.
Focus on generating power with rather than power over.
How can you do that?
It starts within.
As we are experiencing challenging times, people long to be inspired to re-emerge succesfully, to belong and to feel empowered to perform and thrive within a safe work community. My role right now is to help you identify your blindspots so you re-align with your values, purpose and impact to lead with boldness, empathy and certainty in a world led by fear. please book a complimentary session.
I’ve invited Tatiana in to help me do a 360* on my leadership (values, drivers, blindspots) as I begin looking at my next opportunity(ies) from Board roles and to expand on what I’m doing now which is buying and investing in high-potential companies.
- Inspired to re-emerge
- Belong
- Empowered to perform & thrive
gagedLeadership’s Commitment
These are challenging times for everyone, especially those of us who, in addition to managing their own reactions to changing circumstances — must also lead, calm, focus, coach others through the rough patches.
EngagedLeadership has been building influential leaders virtually as a large part of our work for the last ten years. We are here to help if you need someone who understands the challenges of:
Helping people work through their emotions and work realities in a way that wisely reinforces kindness, patience, and a need for focus and productivity under challenging times
Leading and managing a remote team
Recognizing when someone on the phone or your screen needs help, and they don’t know how to ask
Managing your reactions when others need your guidance and understanding
To all of our clients, friends, and family, we are here and want to help, and it’s what we love to do.
Take good care of yourself and those who matter most, that’s the impact we all share in right now.
