Power!

All of us want more power! Power is the possession of control, authority, and influence over others. Too many people feel totally powerless. People look around them and see examples of others who appear to have loads of power, while they perceive that they have very little. What can they do? How can the average human being increase their own control, authority, and influence over others? Here’s what I have learned over the broad expanse of my 70 years on this planet.

Power is never really taken, it can only be given. Sometimes we give our power to others because we fear the consequences if we don’t, but during most human interactions today, we have many more choices than just fight or give in. Our power comes in many forms and in each form we have the choice of whether we give it to others, our keep it for ourselves. The classic child-parent struggle typifies the fundamental human battle for power. Children do not want to be controlled but parents need to control them due to schedules, safety concerns, and the general well-being of their children. But let’s look at power from our adult perspective.

We often hear that knowledge is power. Why would knowledge be power? The answer to that question is quite simple. If I know something that you don’t, I may have opportunities that you do not. It’s actually the opportunity that brings us power. In fact, I believe that opportunity is the source of all power. The wealthy have more opportunities. Those with higher status have more opportunities. The more highly educated have more opportunities. The very strong have more opportunities. Those that possess special skills or talents have more opportunities. If you can do something very few others can do, you will have more opportunities. The more opportunities we have, the more power we have.

People who have power can, sometimes, be afraid of losing their power. This can lead them to believe that they must do certain things to secure their power. Sometimes those people will try to limit the opportunities available to those they currently control, have authority over, and wish to continue to influence. Others, those who are true leaders, “legacy leaders,” have learned that by increasing the opportunities for followers is actually the best way to preserve their power. Legacy Leaders understand that sharing power and opportunity is the source of the greatest power of all, the explosive power of “love, trust, faith, and belief!” To put this power into one word, it is the power of “Devotion!” Very few people have ever acquired this power. It is wielded without fear and without force. It’s the purest of all powers. It is never used for harmful outcomes, only for the good of all. Do you know anyone like this?