Last night, I finished reading Real Power by Janet Hagberg. When I first started it, it struck me as a little cheesy and superficial. But, in the end, I think she had some real nuggets in there and it had a lot more depth than I expected.
She defined six stages of personal power. For each, she talked about what they look like, how to move beyond that stage to the next, traps that keep us from moving on, and how to manage people and bosses at the different levels. She also had chapters specifically about the differences (generally) between women and men and power. The six stages are:
She defined six stages of personal power. For each, she talked about what they look like, how to move beyond that stage to the next, traps that keep us from moving on, and how to manage people and bosses at the different levels. She also had chapters specifically about the differences (generally) between women and men and power. The six stages are:
- Powerlessness - totally dependent on others
- Power by Association - apprentice stage, lots of learning, spreading your wings
- Power by Achievement - Independent, making things happen, being rewarded
- Power by Reflection - Beginning to understand your true self, what's important to you
- Power by Purpose - Living beyond yourself to a higher purpose in life
- Power by Wisdom - Hard to describe
Not surprisingly, she argued that most of corporate America is stuck in stage 3. In many ways, this is our society's definition of success. Note how the first three are primarily about what is external, and the last three are mostly internal.
In the last chapter, Leading from Your Soul, she declared, "Leading from your soul involves things like meaning, passion, calling, courage, wholeness, vulnerability, spirituality, and community." She then listed the following suggestions to develop "soul" leadership:- Be accountable
- Assess your leadership journey
- Practice vulnerability
- Play without feeding your addictions
- Experience solitude regularly
- Try one new artistic endeavor
- Travel as far from home as possible
After those she lists six more that require deeper commitment but can lead to inner healing and life transformation:
- Take your spirituality seriously
- Find a mentor on the fringe
- Find peace and intimacy in your relationships without avoiding conflict
- Embrace your shadows and childhood wounds
- Discover your passion
- Accept your calling
In the end, I think this book was a worthwhile read and would recommend it to anyone who is genuinely seeking to live a richer life.
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