Smart Power

When the generativity and responsiveness of our power is
guided by loving concern for the well-being of all, we will have
an ethical and sustainable world. Power directed by heart.
Heart infused with power. This is the key to right use of power.
Cedar Barstow

Ethics is the ongoing process of applying principles of higher
intelligence to the problems of personal and collective existence,
and endowing life with values that support the well-being of all.
Ethics is the care we show in affecting the lives of others as well
as a sense for where one’s greatest value lies in relation to
others. Ethics might be summarized as cause and effect in
balance, and applied for the greatest good. Glenda Green

SMART POWER
Cedar Barstow, M.Ed., C.H.T. 4/09
Cedar@rightuseofpower.com, www.rightuseofpower.com


Power and how to use it is in the news. The common concept of power as
force with any other use being considered weak and naïve is breaking down
and evolving up. Studies (www.nonviolent-conflict.org) conclude “that major
nonviolent campaigns have achieved success 53 percent of the time,
compared with 26 percent for violent resistance campaigns.” Other studies
show that altruism and basic goodness are hardwired in human nature.
(Shankar Vedantam, 5/27/07. Washington Post; and Cedar Barstow. (2008).
Right Use of Power: The Heart of Ethics, pp. 240-244.)

President Obama and Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy paradigm focuses on
“smart power” (a term coined by Harvard Professor, (Howard Nye, 12/4/08.
www.HuffingtonPost.org) to describe the effective use of “hard” power and
“soft” power. “There is now out-front talk about how attracting people to
another set of possibilities that meet their needs is the only way to win the
war on terrorism….and that the least possible violence is rule one.”
(Elizabeth Cogburn, personal communication 12/6/08) Smart Power
acknowledges the strength and effectiveness of focusing on peaceful global
negotiations. This is akin to my Right Use of Power approach advocating the
use of power with heart, combining strength with compassion. Even right
use of “soft power” requires compassion and action toward the common
good, because even non-violence can be manipulated to be self-serving.
Going deeper, I want to speak about discernments in the crucial balance
between being forceful and being collaborative in the use of personal and
professional power. Power, by definition, is simply, the ability to have an
effect or to have influence. Ethics is concerned with being in right
relationship with those whom your power affects or influences. Kathryn
Alexander (personal communication 2/3/08) has a useful model that she
uses with her business clients. She names three different uses of power
within an organization: manipulative, influential, and appreciative.
Expanding on her model, I find that there is both “good news” and “bad
news” in each of these uses. The names I give them are: forceful, directive,
and collaborative.

FORCEFUL. There are times when the use of force is required and when
being accepting would be a misuse of power. Organizations and professions
need rules, codes, and emergency procedures. Further, they need to be able
to take decisive actions to enforce these for the protection of all. However,
the use of force when it is not appropriate tends to beget anger, revenge,
resentment, and disempowerment. Habitual use of force by leaders does not
inspire co-operation and creativity.

DIRECTIVE. This is the use of leadership influence. Leaders and
professionals, because of the enhanced perspective that accompanies their
power differential role, do have a larger view of the Whole. People need the
direction and inspiration that comes from this view. The bad news, of
course, is that, as a leader or professional habitually using directive power,
your influence tends to depend on and thus be limited by how well you are
liked. Morale and commitment to the whole may become ephemeral.

COLLABORATIVE. This is truly smart power and works best for the common
good because it engages clients or members of a group, in a common vision
which leads to increased creativity, co-operation, and empowerment that is
not dependent on force or top-down direction. The bad news is that is force
and direction are not also appropriately used, the organization or
professional relationship can flounder or sink in chaos and inactivity.

I’m guessing that you could give numerous examples of situations in which
the overuse of one of these three uses of power has created an
organizational or relationship disaster. When informed by compassion and
concern for the common good, all three—forceful, directive, collaborative—
are right uses of power. Compassion and concern for the common good, are
the magical ingredients. To increase your skillfulness and ethical sensitivity,
focus on discernment about the appropriate balance of uses of power using
your awareness and compassion as guidance.