Balance of Power

"All power resides in, and emanates from, individuals."

"Only the na? believe that a decision made is a decision implemented. Power is a critical ingredient of implementation, follow-through, and long-term success. "

"Perhaps the power that will invent our future—actually exists not in us but in the people whom we so pompously propose to empower."

"Power should be used to enhance the understanding and application of the overall vision of the organization."

"Often, dependence and independence exist side by side in organizations, crippling them in all directions."

"Dependent organizations are characterized by waiting."

"Bold action has to be in pursuit of agreed-upon goals and in collaboration with everyone anywhere (inside or outside the organization) who can make the action as successful as possible."

"Leaders who exercise authority intelligently 10 percent of the time and who "follow" 90 percent of the time are much more likely to build a dynamic, survivable organization than the 100 percent authoritarians."

"One of the astonishing contradictions about life in a free country is the freedom individuals enjoy as citizens of the nation and the bondage they often experience as employees of the corporation."

"The return on unspent power (that is, influence) grows faster when we don't use it, when we leave a portion of what we've earned untapped."

"Powersharing with others doesn't make the leader's job go away; in fact, it may make the job of leading both more necessary and more difficult."

"True powersharing is creative: It creates new opportunities for power to be exercised; it releases power that has previously been blocked."

"If people can't or won't speak the truth for whatever reason, powersharing becomes a bad joke."

"Power ought to be less associated with positions and more associated with results . . . It means putting power where it can add value, not prestige."

"Leaders have a goal of creating an innovative environment that will of necessity produce mistakes, and managers have a goal of honing their craft to reduce and eliminate mistakes and waste."

"Powersharing is partly strategic and rational but mainly situational and intuitive."

"Never let people get too comfortable."

"We can make team membership a privilege rather than a right."

"We should never powershare with people until our vision and goals are clearly in place."

"Once we release power by powersharing with teams, there's no way to predict or control the outcome."

"Constructive power is based on truth."

"We need to powershare with people who think cooperation first and competition second, partnerships first and subordination second, turnaround first and termination second."

"It's the wrestling, the struggling, and doubting that lead our organizations to true interdependence and redeem the value and use of power."

"Power is redeemed by how it is shared."

"Powersharing may not be as obvious a competitive advantage as a hot new product or a service breakthrough, but it's just as real. And a lot longer-lasting."