Leading Libraries Series: Leading for Inclusion
Power and privilege
Working positively with power: Recognising your leadership power
The word 'power' can have negative connotations in an organisational or social context but it's important to remember the original definition of the word from physics – power is simply 'the ability to get work done'. The question for us as
leaders, co-workers and public servants is more importantly framed as 'what are we using our power for?'. In terms of inclusion, we can be using our power to make our organisations and services more inclusive, more open and more diverse
or we can be (consciously or unconsciously) by using it to do exactly the opposite.
Now that you have gained some awareness of how privilege (or unearned advantage) has played a role in your life and career to do date, we are going to turn our attention to your earned advantage – the power you hold to promote inclusive practices
based on your organisational role and personal skills and qualities.
Expressions of Power
If we want to think about how to use power positively, we first need to get away from the negative associations many of us have with the word itself. This useful summary about how power can be expressed in different ways comes from VeneKlasen,
L. & Miller, V (2002) A new Weave of Power, People and Politics : Practical Action. The authors wanted to emphasise the ways in which positional and personal power can be used to support ethical and inclusive action, rather than just focussing on the negative aspects.
Source: VeneKlasen, L. & Miller, V (2002) A new Weave of Power, People and Politics : Practical Action
Power over
The most commonly recognized form of power, power over, has many negative associations for people, such as repression, force, coercion, discrimination, corruption, and abuse. In this definition, having power involves taking it from someone
else, and then using it to dominate and prevent others from gaining it. Power over others gives the potential to exclude people who are 'not like us' and is often see as a major source of structural inequality.
People working the fields of diversity and inclusion want to reclaim the idea of positive uses of power as a way of moving towards equity and social justice. Three alternatives – power with, power to, and power within – offer positive ways
of expressing power that create the possibility of forming more equitable relationships. By affirming people’s capacity to act creatively, they open up the possibility for inclusion, collaboration and social innovation.
Power with
Power with has to do with finding common ground among different interests and building collective strength, based on mutual support, solidarity, and collaboration. Power with multiplies individual talents and knowledge, making us 'more than
the sum of our parts'. It can help build bridges across different interests to transform or reduce social conflict and promote equitable relations.
Power to
Power to refers to the fact that we all have the unique potential to shape our life and world using our skills, abilities and knowledge. When combined with power with, it opens up the possibilities of joint action and collective change. Many
approaches to citizen education and leadership development for advocacy are based on the belief that each individual has the power to make a difference.
Power within
Power within has to do with a person’s sense of self-worth and self-knowledge; it includes an ability to recognize individual differences while respecting others. Power within is the capacity to imagine and have hope; it affirms the common
human search for dignity and fulfillment. It allows us to believe that, wherever we start from, we can all make a difference to someone else.
As inclusive leaders, we can use our power within to give us the confidence and agency to use the available sources of power to make change in our workplaces and communities, joining with others for collective action using the focus of power
with
Pause for reflection
Reflect on the ways in which you are expressing the power of your role at the moment.
- How are you using your 'Power to' to shape your own responses to your work environment and to make a difference to others?
- How are you using your 'Power with' to collaborate with colleagues and build supportive coalitions?
- How can you build on your 'Power within' so that you can have more 'agency' in your work or your inclusion efforts?
Recognising your own power as a 'leader for inclusion'
In an organisational setting, we sometimes assume that there is only one source of power – the power that comes from our particular role, its seniority and its scale. This kind of 'positional power' is only one aspect of leadership power –
it gives us formal authority to set up structures, recruit to post, decide on spending priorities etc. However, whatever the role we hold, we all have different degrees of informal (or personal) power – the influence we have which comes
from our lived experience, our skills, our knowledge and our relationship networks.
Sources of Positional Power
Formal authority
Position in hierarchy and prescribed responsibilities
Relevance
Relationship between task and organizational objectives
Centrality
Autonomy
Amount of discretion in a position
Visibility
Degree to which performance can be seen by others
Sources of Personal Power
Expertise
Relevant knowledge and skills
Track record
Attractiveness
Attributes that others find appealing and identify with
Effort
Expenditure of time and energy
Pause for reflection
Review the sources of positional power in the list above.
In your current role, where does your power lie? Which sources are available? Which ones could you use more effectively to initiate activities which support inclusion?
Review the sources of personal power. Which is your most important source of power at work? Which one might you need to develop further in order to influence others more effectively?
Using organisational 'currencies' to influence inclusion
One way of thinking about power and influence is to consider our organisations (and even our places) as 'economies' where different socially important assets can be exchanged between people. This is not just about funds or concrete resources – it's
also about the qualities and processes we need as people to 'get the job done', to provide the things other people value and to deliver on the things that are important to us.
One list of organisational 'currencies' is below. You will probably recognise some of them as things that you offer to other people in your work and some of them as things you receive from colleagues, users or citizens.
Can you think of others as you read through the list?
Inspiration-related currencies
Vision: Being involved in a task that has larger significance for the service, organization, customers, or society.
Excellence: Having a chance to do important things really well.
Moral/Ethical: Doing what is "right" by a higher standard than efficiency.
Task-related currencies
Resources: Lending or giving money, budget increases, personnel, space, and so forth.
Assistance: Helping with existing projects or undertaking unwanted tasks.
Cooperation: Giving task support, providing quicker response time, approving a project, or aiding implementation.
Information: Providing organizational as well as technical knowledge.
Position-related currencies
Advancement: Giving a task or assignment that can aid in promotion.
Recognition: Acknowledging effort, accomplishment, or abilities.
Visibility: Providing chance to be known by higher-ups, or significant others in the organization.
Reputation: Enhancing the way a person is seen.
Importance/Insiderness: Offering a sense of importance, of "belonging".
Network/Contacts: Providing opportunities for linking with others.
Relationship-related currencies
Acceptance: Providing closeness and friendship.
Personal support: Giving personal and emotional backing.
Understanding: Listening to others’ concerns and issues.
Personal-related currencies
Self-Concept: Affirming one’s values, self-esteem, and identity.
Challenge/Learning: Sharing tasks that increase skills and abilities.
Ownership/Involvement: Letting others have ownership and influence.
Gratitude: Expressing appreciation or indebtedness.
Pause for reflection
Consider an action you would like to take in your own service which would make it feel more inclusive – for your colleagues, your users or the people who don't yet benefit from your service.
Review the 'organisational currencies' in the list above. Which currencies are you already 'wealthy in' (i.e. good at providing for others)? Which of those currencies might you bring into play to support the action you thought of above?
Which other 'currencies' might be needed to support the action you have chosen? Who do you know who 'trades well' in those currencies? How might you enrol them in your inclusion efforts?
What one small step could you take tomorrow to move this action on?
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