Power and influence
The foundations of effective leadership lie in the way a manager uses power to influence the behaviour of other people. Power is the ability to get someone else to do something you want done. It is the ability to make things happen the way you want them to. Research recognises that a need for power is essential to executive success. But this need for power is not a desire to control for the sake of personal satisfaction; it is a desire to influence and control others for the good of the group or organisation as a whole. This ‘positive’ face of power is the foundation of effective leadership.