Power and Trust in Leadership

Power and trust are both essential aspects of leadership (Bryman, 2011). First, leaders must have the power to make decisions and to get others to buy into the mission once the decision is made. Second, leaders must be trustworthy because it is trust that enables followers to buy into them and into their message and the mission they present (Bligh, 2017). Without power, a leader cannot lead. Without trust, a leader cannot win followers. Power does not necessarily lead to trust, but trust will often lead to power.
In today’s times, power is often viewed suspiciously. Most people are familiar with the often-quoted line that power corrupts. The idea that power necessary corrupts is one that should be viewed as a fallacy. Authority cannot be effective unless it has the power to lead. Parents cannot be parents without the power to protect and discipline their children. If someone were to rob them of that power, what good do they become as parents? Leadership today is often seen as a challenge of democratizing the act of leadership, of inviting others into the decision-making process, because authoritarian leaders are viewed as risky or as offensive in the current climate of inclusivity (Ahn, Ettner & Loupin, 2011). Today’s workplaces are filled with people who think they have a right to be heard and that their leader is not giving them a voice if he does not provide them with a platform and an opportunity to give feedback or input on every important decision that is to be made (Tost, Gino & Larrick, 2013). Authoritarianism is not a bad word, however. Authoritarian leaders can be the best leaders if they themselves are of a noble, and good character. If they live according to the principles of the system of virtue ethics, they can be the best of leaders because they have cultivated the virtues needed to reflect the good in every direction. Authoritarianism, unfortunately, is often associated with leaders who are lacking in all virtue. The world remembers the authoritarian leaders of Orwell’s Animal Farm, of Russia’s Soviet system of government. Yet, some of the best leaders of US corporations have been authoritarian leaders—good men who have assumed the authority to make decisions, see that those decisions are implemented, and ensure that the vision they lay out is achieved.
Power is not a vice. It is a necessity. Those who argue against it generally just want it for themselves. They object to others having power because they feel they are powerless. Yet, if one wants to have power as a leader, one has to put in the work to reach a leadership position—and that typically means serving others, putting their needs first, helping them to reach their potential, communicating well with others and inspiring them to pursue the vision presented: all of these are attributes of leaders.
Today’s protests and riots in the street are examples of soft power being exercised behind the scenes. Soft power is the attempt to persuade people one way or another without making direct statements or authoritative gestures (Nye, 2008). Authoritative gestures, today, seem to frighten people. People feel that they have just as much right to be heard as the leader of a Fortune 500 company. They have lost the ability to make distinctions, and they lack the humility required in order to see that rank and hierarchy do matter and do help groups to maintain order, structure and discipline.
Power might change the person who possesses. It might change a person negatively or positively—it depends on the person’s character formation. Has he led a life of virtue? Or is he weak in character and likely to wield power in an immoral manner, abusing the authority entrusted to him by others? To guard against power negatively changing oneself as a leader, one must develop one’s character in accordance with virtue ethics—there is no other answer.
References
Ahn, M. J., Ettner, L. W., & Loupin, A. (2011). From classical to contemporary leadership challenges. Journal of Leadership Studies, 5(1), 6-22. doi:10.1002/jls.2020
Bligh M.C. (2017) Leadership and trust. In: Marques J., Dhiman S. (eds). Leadership Today, Springer Texts in Business and Economics. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31036
Bryman, A. (2011). The SAGE handbook of leadership. London: Sage.
Nye, J. S., Jr. (2008). Public diplomacy and soft power. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 616(1),94-109. doi:10.1177/000271620731169
Tost, L. P., Gino, F., & Larrick, R. P. (2013). When power makes others speechless: The negative impact of leader power on team performance. The Academy of Management Journal, 56(5), 1465–1486. doi: 10.5465/amj.2011.018