Effective Management To Do Their Jobs

Abstract

Americans have probably always been suspicious of power--the United States was born out of a rebellion against it, and our political processes seem to confirm that distrust. We have equated power with exploitation and corruption. But, the author of this article asserts, the negative aspects of power have blinded people to its positive points, to its uses, and to the fact that, without it, people cannot accomplish very much anywhere. And that is especially true in management. The author maintains that, as organizations have grown more complex, it has become more difficult, if not impossible, for managers to achieve their ends either independently or through persuasion and formal authority alone. They increasingly need power to influence other people on whom they are dependent. Furthermore, he says, effective managers tend to be very successful at developing four different types of power, which they use along with persuasion to influence others. And they do so, the author concludes, with maturity, great skill, and a sensitivity to the obligations and risks involved. [