Why Today's Construct of Power Isn't Working

Source: Yan Krukau/Pexels

Source: Gerd Altmann/Pixabay

In The Power Code, New York Times bestselling authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman explain why power is not working—for women, for men, or for the world—and how women can change that.

In a society where important concepts historically have been patriarchically-defined, it's not surprising that the construct of power and how it should be wielded has been and continues to be dominated by male perspective and application. However, is this the best and most productive approach?

With practically daily reports of mismanagement, corruption, and abuse of power in the heavily male-dominated fields of business, government, and politics, it's a question certainly worth exploring, which is why I was intrigued by George Stephanopoulos's Good Morning America interview with New York Times bestselling authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman about their new book on this exact topic.

The Power Code, published by Harper Collins, explores why today's construct of power is not working and how women can change that. In the book, Kay and Shipman challenge the effectiveness of the predominately male-preferred hierarchical approach to power ("power over"), and offer a blueprint to ways in which women and advocates of equality can promote a much more impactful outcome-driven approach ("power to").

As Kay and Shipman discuss in their GMA interview, women often don't pursue or walk away from positions of power because the traditional ego-driven approach doesn't appeal to them. As Shipman explains, "We (women) don't like it, we don't like the ego, we don't like the hierarchy, and we refuse it because we don't think it works with our life goals." They discovered this power paradox after interviewing dozens of high-achieving women around the world and consulting with academic researchers, and believe that it may, at least in part, explain why only 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs and a similar percentage of world leaders are women.

Kay and Shipman's research revealed that the basic difference between male and female approaches to power can be most succinctly described as "power over" versus "power to." Kay explains that while men tend to have a "much more hierarchical view of power" and view it as a "finite commodity," women tend to be much more focused on "the why of power," meaning how they can use power to effectuate change that will benefit others. She notes that for women power typically isn't viewed as something you have over people or things, but rather that power provides opportunities and promotes actions that will maximize benefits to others. "It's a great leadership quality and might be why fewer women are accused of corruption than men," says Kay. "Power tends to corrupt men. Perhaps it doesn't corrupt women in the same way because we focus on having impact and change."

Although we can probably all agree that using power with this kind of "others-based" purpose would be a refreshing change in today's world of highly competitive, often unprincipled, sometimes corrupt leadership, instituting such changes presents significant challenges. Those who wield power to benefit themselves, inflate their egos, and maintain their position in the pecking order aren't likely to be willing to change the status quo. However, as Kay and Shipman point out, there are things that can be done to at least start to reframe and modernize today's hierarchical power structure.

Their first suggestion is to encourage women to keep the focus on "why." According to Shipman, it's the why of power, the anticipated outcome that power can accomplish, that drives women to action; and this kind of consistent, determined action is what is needed to drive positive, long-term change.

Second, Kay and Shipman recommend that women use handwritten lists to "prime" their brains for power. They report that neuroscientists have discovered that when we prime our brains for power, we increase our chances for success through more engagement and risk-taking. They advise that if you spend 15 minutes before an important meeting or interview, writing down memories of a time you felt powerful or felt that you had a positive impact, you're more likely to have a better outcome. Shipman notes that the act of writing is important to this exercise because it triggers memories that put you in an empowered mindset from the start.

The authors also encourage women to promote positive power changes by engaging in what they call "everyday disruptions." As Kay notes, "We can all be part of this change moment for changing power" by committing to a few simple disruptions to what often is the status quo in corporate America and gender roles in general. For example, she recommends:

• Using short, direct words to reset gender-biased behaviors. For example, when someone cuts you off when you're trying to contribute to a discussion, simply say, "Let me finish."
• Encouraging colleagues to stand up against gender-biased behaviors, and doing the same for them. For example, in the above scenario, a colleague can say, "Let her finish."
• Limiting the amount of free, non-promotable labor you agree to do in the workplace. As Kay explains, women tend to get assigned or volunteer to do a variety of tasks that, although have value in the workplace community, do nothing to promote advancement. These include organizing lunches, holiday parties, or special day (e.g., birthday) recognitions. There's nothing about these situations that require a woman to organize them, so pass them off to encourage fewer gender-specific role assignments in the workplace.
• Exposing and teaching young boys different versions of power. The authors point out that while we've done a fairly good job of encouraging girls to explore all kinds of experiences and opportunities that the world has to offer, we've not done the same for boys. Therefore, if we hope to ultimately reframe the construct of power on a broad scale, it's important to expose young boys to opportunities and experiences in which they're in a position to nurture and care for others.

Career Essential Reads

The Problem With Purpose

Getting Write Down to It: Passion and Purpose in Writing

Change, of course, never comes easy, especially when the changes being proposed are perceived to take away something that has high value from a person or a group of people. However, that doesn't mean that change isn't needed or necessary. As the book points out, "What’s at stake is much greater than the next job; it’s about the need for a new vision of what power can be, for a new code that focuses not simply on hierarchy, on having power over others, but also on purpose, on what power can achieve." The Power Code comes out June 13, 2023.