Two Ways. . .

It may seem obvious but have you ever asked yourself or meditated on what people want power or to be in charge? There are two types of power – Hard styles of power can diminish self-determination, decreasing motivation and commitment. In contrast, soft styles of power have the opposite effect—increasing self-determination, motivation, and commitment. Individuals seek power for two reasons. On one hand, they may be motivated to obtain control over others (i.e., coercion). On the other hand, they might be motivated by personal control instead, particularly to increase their own self-determination and autonomy (i.e., co-action) Given the above, if you are seeking power, or already in a leadership position, it may be of benefit to explore your own motivations. Are you interested in increasing your own autonomy and empowering others, or controlling them instead? Do you view others positively and see opportunities with them, or are you largely focused on others as threats to be mistrusted? If you find yourself routinely focused on others in a distrustful and controlling way, then you may have some dispositional issues to explore. Specifically, you may want to consider whether attachment issues could be inhibiting your ability to trust others. Also, think about whether low self-esteem might be impacting your perception of relationships as well. You may find that working on those dispositional factors helps to improve your worldview, your leadership, and your own life.