As John Dalberg-Acton famously said “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  Such thinking lies behind a visceral fascination with leaders and leadership, and how power affects how we feel and behave.

The latest such exploration was published recently in the Annual Review of Psychology.  The paper consisted of a literature review of 15 years worth of analysis in areas such as neuroscience, management and psychology.  It provides a detailed and fascinating insight into how power influences us.

For instance, it’s well known that those in positions of power tend to speak up more often than those without.  What also seems to occur however is that the powerful tend to speak for longer as well.  This in turn then influences how we perceive the powerful, with onlookers in various studies viewing the powerful as more open and interesting.

Standing up

Power doesn’t just limit itself to influencing how we talk, but also how we act.  One study covered in the review found that the powerful are significantly more likely to take action than their powerless peers.  This also manifests itself in a greater level of persistence towards goals.  Of course, it would be interesting to analyze whether it’s power that gives us these traits, or whether it’s those traits that lead to power being accrued.

This cause and effect dilemma continues with the suggestion that powerful people tend to identify more with their roles, with their goals deeply intertwined with those roles.  What’s more, the powerful also seem capable of sucking in others to help them achieve their goals and ambitions.

The dark side

Suffice to say, whilst power can imbue a number of positive attributes, there are also some well known dark elements associated with power.

It perhaps goes without saying that the powerful are highly motivated to maintain that status.  Both verbal and non-verbal displays are used to portray and signal power.  What’s more, threats to that status are typically attacked aggressively.

The strong focus on goals can also create a tunnel vision that prevents the powerful from appreciating the context surrounding their ultimate goal.  This can cause conflicting information to be ignored and the resulting decisions to be poor.  In extreme instances, it can also result in corruption and self-serving behavior.

In many instances, these are two sides of the same coin.  The high levels of goal orientation and personal responsibility can help us to achieve great things, but it can also imbue us with a sense of hubris that can be extremely damaging, to ourselves, our organizations and to society as a whole.

Mitigating power

So what can be done to limit the negative aspects and ensure more of the positive characteristics endure?  The analysis suggests that extensive training in social responsibility can play a part, as can an incredibly robust organizational culture.

For instance, if an organization focuses excessively on profit, especially in the short-term, this can bring out the worst in the powerful leaders within their ranks.  In contrast, if emphasis is given instead to the role of people, this can encourage more responsible, longer-term thinking and behavior.

Given the appeal and strong desire for heroes in our society, the fascination we have of powerful leaders is undoubtedly going to endure.  Hopefully more analyses like this one will ensure that we limit some of the harmful side-effects of power whilst retaining their various benefits.