What’s the importance of power? What kind of impact do you want to leave on the world?
In simple terms, Jeffrey Pfeffer says that power is the ability to control the world around you. Having power means being able to influence others, distribute resources as you see fit, make important decisions, and ultimately get what you want.
Let’s look at why power is necessary to become your best self and make the world a better place.
What Power Is and Why You Need It
In discussing the importance of power, Pfeffer is using the sociological definition of power, which simply means the ability to influence the lives of others. People can exercise their power in various ways. For instance, a manager or elected leader usually exerts power through authority, while an influencer or pundit might use manipulation, and a despot or an abusive partner often uses force.
He adds that, while power can help you achieve your personal goals, it’s also key to improving and prolonging your life. This is because having a sense of control over your surroundings makes you healthier and happier. Conversely, a lack of control over your environment makes you feel vulnerable and anxious. That constant feeling of stress, in turn, harms you both physically and mentally.
(Shortform note: Happiness being linked to a sense of control is part of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in psychology. SDT says that people have three innate psychological needs: autonomy (the ability to make their own decisions and take meaningful action), competence (the skills to achieve their goals), and relatedness (connections with other people). Power satisfies the needs for autonomy and competence. In other words, a powerful person is someone who has a sense of control over their own life and who feels capable of getting what they want. On the other hand, a powerless person—someone who isn’t meeting those needs—will experience chronic stress, which can cause health problems ranging from clinical anxiety and addiction to high blood pressure and heart disease.)
Another reason you should seek power is that you need it to have a significant impact on the world. Whether you want to reform the political system, raise money for a worthy cause, or fight injustice, you need influence and control—without power, you’ll never be able to accomplish more than you can do on your own.
For example, suppose you want to support a particular charity. If you have little or no power, you can only contribute as much money as you’re willing to give. However, if you’re an influential figure at your workplace or in your local community, then you can encourage others to add their own donations. By doing so, you could multiply your impact many times over.
(Shortform note: Leadership expert René Rodriguez (Amplify Your Influence) says there are four basic strategies people use to get others to support their causes. Pathos means appealing to people’s emotions, often by making them feel personally affected by the issue you’re discussing. Ethos means flaunting your expertise on the subject in order to appear trustworthy. Logos means using facts and data to logically convince people that you’re correct. Finally, kairos means making your ideas relevant to your audience—for instance, someone who just moved into a bad neighborhood may feel unsafe and want protection for themselves and their neighbors. Therefore, that would be a good person to try bringing into a neighborhood watch organization.)
You Need Power Because the World Is Not Fair
Pfeffer adds that many people don’t seek out power (or actively avoid it) because they think that the world is an essentially fair place. Therefore, they believe that if they live well—such as by working hard, following the rules, and perhaps doing a good deed from time to time—then they’ll be rewarded with safety and prosperity.
However, Pfeffer says this is a myth—the world is actually brutal and unfair. People don’t get what they deserve; they only get what they can take for themselves, or what more powerful people force upon them.
