Power and Leadership

Question 1

Who becomes a leader?

Answer 1

Primary factors
1) Perceived competence
2) Perceived generosity toward group
Additional factors
-Formal appointment/title, seniority
-Control over resources (power)
-Personal characteristics (age, attractiveness, height, extraversion)

Question 2

Predicting leadership emergence

Answer 2

Emergent leaders:
-Speak and act more
-Have more influence over group’s final decisions
-Are more resistant to group norms
Do the “right” people emerge as leaders?
Is it helpful that a leader emerges at all?
-Moderate status differences efficiency
-Large/unfair status differences  dissatisfaction, reduced creativity

Question 3

What happens to people when they become leaders?

Answer 3

They gain power – which changes human behavior

Can be role-based power (I’m the boss) or situational power (I’m in charge of the boss’ calendar today)

Behavioral changes probably have evolutionary origins

Decreased activity of Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)
“Braking system” – cognitive, neurological, & motor components

Question 4

How power changes behavior

Answer 4

Power increases action toward one’s goals
Power increases abstract thinking
Power reduces the pressure of others
Power decreases perspective taking

Question 5

What does power do?

Answer 5

• Increase action toward goals
• Increases abstract thinking
• Power reduces the pressure of others
• Power decreases perspective taking

Question 6

Why do leaders fail?

Answer 6

-Power paradox
Perceived generosity toward group -> power
Power -> Less generosity
-Failures of perspective taking
-Moral hypocrisy

Question 7

How do you prevent the power paradox?

Answer 7

Transparency
-“The corner office could use a few more windows.”
Accountability
-Procedural justice
-Employee voice
-Anonymous input
Leader selection – negative effects of power may be reduced among people who are:
-High on agreeableness
-Low on narcissism
-Responsible (even having kids or younger siblings helps)