4. Four Reasons to Share Power

There are four reasons why leaders might distribute power to enhance group performance and to help assure organizational survival (Here we follow Hackman and Johnson outline) .

1: Sharing power increases task satisfaction and task performance People enjoy their jobs more and tend to work harder when they feel that they have a substantive role in shaping vision and decisions. Conversely, by withholding power, leaders create environments in which workers feel powerless, and thus become more critical, defensive and cautious.

2: Sharing power creates greater cooperation among group members Thus, by sharing power, leaders foster cooperation that enhances a team’s task accomplishment. Combining the efforts of individuals to achieve goals will accomplish more than one person ever could alone. Share information and power and individual team members will more likely do the same with each other, particularly when you make clear that cooperation is more important than and will be rewarded over competition.

3: Sharing power increased the likelihood that your working group will survive Not rigidily hierarchical organizations can better adapt to changing market conditions and foster innovation because ideas do not have to constantly be checked with a central authority.

4: Sharing power enhances personal growth and learning By empowering subordinates, you stimulate growth. Sharing power allows team members to learn new skills that, in turn, will create greater job fulfillment. The more skilled and satisfied workers become, the more the organization benefits and profits. People are more satisfied with the work environment and get more done.

Discussion Questions: Take half an hour to answer the following questions. Then, in groups of four—either online or in a face-to-face setting—discuss your answers to these questions. Together, generate a list of 10 things each of you can do to transform the way each of you attempts to influence others and 10 things each of you can do to enhance (for the better) the way others use power in your organization.

What types of power are supported by your organization’s organizational culture? Are these uses of power healthy for organizational growth and change?

What role can you take in using power more effectively a) with your supervisors and b) with your support teams (subordinates)?

What are the benefits of sharing power with your subordinates? What are the potential problems you see with sharing power with your subordinates?

Should some kinds of power be kept from “rank and file” workers? Why or why not?