LEADERSHIP SKILLS
The Politics of Power
Understanding how others view your authority can help you use it more effectively
By Chief Marc Revere

Power, like politics, is often considered as a dirty word. However, we all seek it, we admire it when it’s used for the good of many, and we recognize the need for it. Example: In the recent Haiti relief effort, the United States (and other nations) provided food and shelter for those in need. This was a classic example of power, position and influence—the United States was powerful enough to help; by doing so it positioned itself as a caring, compassionate nation in the court of public opinion; and its actions influenced a positive humanitarian outcome for the people of Haiti

Fire chiefs, too, operate within the realm of power and politics. True, most fire chief job descriptions will claim that the chief must be “apolitical,” but most departments are also looking for a chief who understands the three legs of the political process—power, position and influence. So what does it mean for a fire chief to be apolitical? It means you need to be political without being seen as a politician!

To understand this better, let’s take a closer look at power and how it affects decision-making within organizations.

Sources of Power
What comes to mind when you think of power and politics? Is it backstabbing, gossip and self-interest, or is it alliance building, interdependence and trust? It’s rare that we use the word “political” in a positive manner. But in fact, truly skillful political execution is usually perceived as genuine, authentic, straightforward behavior that includes long-term vision, consensus building and team building.

German sociologist Max Weber defined power as “the probability that one within a social relationship will be in a position to carry out his own will despite resistance.” Put another way, power is the ability to understand what others fear or desire, and to use that understanding to influence their behavior. It can be viewed this way:

So where does this power come from? The most obvious source is positional power, or the power conferred by rank or title. Positional power causes people to give us our way because of our legitimate title (chief, battalion chief, captain, etc.) and our capacity to reward or punish that accompanies that title. Positional power is almost always granted and enforced within the organization.

Leaders can’t achieve their goals, however, simply by pulling rank; they must also have the willing participation of subordinates, peers and others over whom they have no direct power. Personal power relies on expertise, information, connection to others and charisma (good examples include presidents Clinton and Kennedy). We gain personal power when people see a personal benefit in aligning with our cause, our goals or our values.

But what if you have both qualities—you’re feared and loved? Nicolò Machiavelli, in his classic study of power, “The Prince,” wrote, “It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, it is much safer to be feared than loved.”

All leaders have their own unique style in which they lead and influence—from direct to laissez faire, from dictator to visionary. In an autocratic organization, the leader coerces employees to defer: “We’ll do it my way!” In a democratic organization, the leader inspires employees to contribute: “How shall we do it?”

The fact of the matter is, you need both approaches to be truly successful. All leaders, whether their power derives from position or personality, perform necessary functions for the organization, including:
· Choosing the direction of group movement;
· Protecting the group;
· Orienting members to their status and place;
· Controlling conflict; and
· Maintaining norms.
Wouldn’t you agree that these functions are necessary and universal functions of all leaders? High-quality company officers perform these functions every day. So do fire chiefs.

Allies, Adversaries & Everything In Between
With any position of influence comes the need to manage relationships. Power confers followers, but it can also confer enemies.

Most leaders don’t even realize that they have enemies. We like to project ourselves and our values onto others and assume the best about other people. This is risky and naïve. Instead, we must be able to objectively identify the players in our political world. When thinking of these political players, think of a triangle: One leg represents allies, another adversaries and another neutral parties that can be swayed in one direction or the other.

Depending on the issue, allies can become adversaries or vice-versa. Strive to make alliances with your adversaries and, if at all possible, make neutral members advocate for your position. The key is to identify the people or organizations that fit into one of those three legs and then determine their desire and fears as they apply to the issue at hand. When you’re faced with a major issue or a change initiative you need to know who is where within this model—even within the department ranks.

John Gardner, the founder of the political non-profit Common Cause and the classic leadership book titled “On Leadership,” defines power as: “the basic energy needed to initiate and sustain action or, to put it another way, the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it.” Power is attractive because it confers the ability to influence decisions, which in turn gives a sense of control and reduces uncertainty; we believe we can shape our future and control our destiny. This attractiveness is why individuals and even organizations compete with one another for power. By knowing where individuals and organization lie within the triangle—allies, adversaries or neutral parties—we can anticipate how they will react to a particular issue and attempt to influence them to move in a direction favorable to our long-term goals. [

Final Thoughts
Plato suggested that the quality of government depends upon the values of those who run it. This is an insightful observation into the leadership of any organization. All decisions are based upon values and behaviors (see FireRescue magazine,“Common Ground,” Jan. 2010, p. 56). If we want to control our working environment, we must control and reinforce our cultural values. And the person who controls ideals and values controls outcomes—for their company, their battalion or their agency.

Marc Revere is the fire chief of the Novato Fire Protection District, an Internationally Accredited Agency in Marin County, Calif. Chief Revere’s 33-year fire service career includes more than 17 years as a chief and fire officer. He has completed executive education at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and holds a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Redlands. Chief Revere is a certified Chief Fire Officer and an Executive Fire Officer graduate and serves as one of 12 members representing the Professional Development Committee for the IAFC.

Copyright © Elsevier Inc., a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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