3 leadership books on power
Power is a complicated subject. Fortunately, there are some excellent leadership books that help us get around the pitfalls. Here are three contemporary authors who deliver.
Learning to exercise power is an early leadership skill that we must master
There’s no escaping how delicious power feels. It is incredibly energizing. It gives us a feeling of strength and status. It allows us privileges and prebends. No wonder we see so many leaders fall under his spell. From Julius Caesar to Genghis Khan, from despotic politician to narcissistic business leader, power is a galvanizing force. With it we can conquer fields and squash competition.
Power wielded like a sword generates human guarantees. Eventually, dictators fall, some faster than others. Although our civilizations have drifted further and further away from power-hungry oppressive regimes, some remain.
In our workplaces, we still see the burgeoning beast of power. As thoughtful and thoughtful leaders, it is our moral imperative to know power and to exercise it wisely.
Power wielded like a torch illuminates the path of humanity. Let’s do that.
As I do more research on power in leadership, I see its use and abuse everywhere. The following books share different perspectives on power, from the easy read to the more complex nuanced views. Choose your option.
Understanding power is essential to a healthy leadership mindset.
Recommendation 1. Easy to read/listen to: John Birmingham’s end of days series
I’ve been listening to some amazing original series from Audible. These three audiobooks: zero day code, fault stateand American kill switch give us a fascinating look at human societies if we lose our internet capabilities. Birmingham writes a dystopian near future where a cyber attack destroys all communication and food distribution networks. Chaos and survival ensues. A fascinating look at how we come together – or don’t – when crisis hits, who emerges as leaders and how they wield power. A brilliant story by Rupert Degas. The characterization and dialogue are top notch. #autocrush
Recommendation 2. Average hard reading: The four stages of psychological safety: defining the path towards inclusion and innovation by Timothy Clark
A fabulous short primer on how to increase and extend psychological safety in the workplace and work towards power sharing and collaboration. The four stages include: Inclusion Security, Learner Security, Collaborator Security, and Challenger Security. Complete with great reflection questions and key points from the chapter, this is a practical manual for leaders who want a stepped approach to learning how to help others share power and grow under their banner of leadership.
Recommendation 3: Difficult reading: The Nordic Ideology: A Metamodern Guide to Politics – Hanzi Freinacht Book Two
It is long, it is difficult, it is complex. And very rewarding. Hanzi describes the path of development for us as a civilization without beating around the bush. No utopia awaits us, only what he calls ‘relative utopia’. He suggests that our current civilizations are relatively better than those we’ve had before (world wars, slavery), but still have a new set of problems that we need to lean on and address (failing ecosystems, increased inequality and alienation, and stress). .) If he is interested in the larger patterns at play in human societies, then this book is for you. It also comes with something of a playbook on how to encourage self-development and nurture the development of others, essential to a successful metamodern society that is equipped to handle the challenges that modern and postmodern societies have created.
Essential leadership skills include advanced emotional intelligence, perspective taking, complexity mapping. Phew. We are on the right path.
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