Have you ever struggled with the right way to use the power of your position? - SmartBrief

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Have you ever struggled with the right way to use the power of your position?

2 min read

Leadership

SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 210,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our e-newsletter.

Have you ever struggled with the right way to use the power of your position?

  • Never — I’ve always wielded power very responsibly: 22%
  • Sometimes — I’ve made an occasional mistake: 72%
  • Often — I have trouble wielding power appropriately: 4%
  • All the time — I tend to abuse the power of my position: 1%

The Perils of Power. Being in a leadership role brings great responsibility with the power that comes along with it. While you might not abuse your power on a regular basis, even one small slip can be devastating. To avoid those issues, be aware of the major power mistakes you can make and actively avoid them. Put policies, practices, processes, and procedures in place to maintain fairness and prevent overstepping your bounds. It only takes one bad decision to change people’s perceptions of you and see you as a power-hungry tyrant.

Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS, author of “Lead Inside the Box: How Smart Leaders Guide Their Teams to Exceptional Results” and “One Piece of Paper: The Simple Approach to Powerful, Personal Leadership.”