One of the central questions concerning power is,
who gets it? Researchers have confronted this question for years, and their
results offer an argument against the Machiavellian view of power (the idea
that people who are willing to manipulate, deceive, backstab, intimidate, and
undermine others to get power, usually get it). Instead, research reveals that
a person’s ability to get power, even in small group situations, depends on
their ability to understand and advance the goals of other group members. When
it comes to power, social intelligence i.e. reconciling conflicts, negotiating,
smoothing over group tensions always prevails. It is the more outgoing,
energetic and socially engaging individuals who quickly garner the respect of
their peers and quickly rise through the ranks of social and business
hierarchies.
But what are the psychological reasons behind this
idea? Researchers believe it comes down to this: “we accomplish most tasks
related to survival and reproduction socially (together), from caring for our
children to producing food and shelter. We give power to those who can best
serve the interests of the group”.
“Social intelligence” is essential not only in
rising to power, but in keeping it. Dr Cameron Anderson studied the structure
of social hierarchies within college dormitories over the course of a year,
examining who is at the top and remains there and who falls in status. He
consistently found that it is the socially intelligent individuals who keep
their power over time. In more recent work, Cameron has found that modesty may
be critical to maintaining power. Individuals who are modest about their own
power actually rise in hierarchies and maintain the status and respect of their
peers.
So what is the fate of Machiavellian group members
who are willing to deceive, backstab and intimidate others in their pursuit of
power? Researchers find that these individuals don’t actually rise to positions
of power. Instead, their peers quickly recognize that they will harm others in
the pursuit of their own self-interest, and tag them with a reputation of being
harmful to the group and not worthy of leadership.
Power
Corrupts.
Interestingly, studies also show that once people assume positions of power, they’re likely to act more selfishly, impulsively, and aggressively, and have a harder time seeing the world from other people’s points of view. Simply put, the skills most important to obtaining power and leading effectively are the very skills that deteriorate once we have power.
For instance, studies have found that people given
power in experiments are more likely to rely on stereotypes when judging others.
Predisposed to stereotype, they also judge others’ attitudes, interests, and
needs less accurately.
Research has also found that power encourages
individuals to act on their own whims, desires, and impulses. When researchers
give people power in scientific experiments, those people are more likely to
physically touch others in inappropriate ways, to make riskier choices and
gambles, to make first offers in negotiations and to eat cookies like the
Cookie Monster, with crumbs all over their chins and chests.
Perhaps most unsettling is the wealth of evidence
that suggests having power increases the likelihood of our leaders fulfilling the
symptoms for a diagnosis of a sociopath. High power individuals are more likely
to interrupt others, to speak out of turn, and fail to look at others who are
speaking. Surveys of business organisations find that most rude behaviours,
like shouting, swearing and blunt critiques, emanate from the offices and
cubicles of individuals in positions of power.
Possibly going a little too far, one researcher suggested
that people with power tend to behave like patients who have damaged their brain’s
orbitofrontal lobes; a condition that seems to cause overly impulsive and
insensitive behaviour. So through gaining power, you also lose that part of
your brain which is critical to empathy and socially appropriate behaviour!
Ironically
This leaves us with a power paradox. Power is given
to those individuals who advance the interests of the greater good in a
socially intelligent fashion.
Yet unfortunately, having power renders many
individuals as impulsive and poorly attuned to others needs, making them prone
to act abusively and lose the respect of their peers. What people want from
leaders is social intelligence, but ironically, this is exactly what is damaged
by gaining power.
Lord Acton once said "Absolute power corrupts
absolutely"….
If you want to gain and maintain power, please take
note.
