Management Analysis Assignment

Power and Influence

Power and influence can promote the greatest good or facilitate the worst evil. Power comes in many different forms. September 11, 2001 Americans watched power at its worst. A group of terrorists murdered over 3,000 people in New York City. They had a form of power. They had knowledge that they gained from flight schools and terrorist camps. They had the ability to overpower some and intimate others into submission. That is power at its absolute worse. We still see this type of power in our world today. In fact, it is growing.

But on September 11th, 2001, the American people exhibited a different kind of power: compassionate and self-less power. Some fireman and policeman lost their lives helping others escape the burning towers. They had the power of courage. That courage was exhibited on a plane that crashed in Pennsylvania because a group of passengers were unwilling to let their airplane be used as another weapon. From what I understand, I believe the courage of some of those brave men came from their faith in Jesus Christ because several of them were men of faith.

The president possessed another kind of power: legitimate power. He demanded that all planes be on the ground within an hour. That power was used for the safety of the American people. On that tragic day, we saw power at its best and at its worst. We have a choice as to how we will use our own power.

Your textbooks discuss many kinds of power, but I would like to add a few that they do not discuss. The first kind of power that I see in our society is the power of the athlete. While I am not a sports fan, I recognize that athletes have the power to command the respect of our young and influence their lives. They have power to command huge salaries and sometimes see a different kind of justice than the average man. Beauty can also be a source of power. Handsome men and beautiful women are treated differently in our society. The research shows that many advantages are given to the attractive. They make more money than the average person and get more promotions. Beauty can be used to obtain many favors.

My personal favorite kind of power is spiritual power. As a believer in Jesus Christ, I have seen God’s power meet my needs. I have seen healing. I have seen God provide financial resources. I have seen God protect His children from danger. I personally would rather have access to Jehovah through his son Jesus, than all the other power in the world. But then that is just me. Your textbook won't discuss that kind of power because that would be politically incorrect.

Probably one of the most potent kinds of power is being able to influence and to motivate others. If you have this gift, if you develop this skill, then you can multiply your influence and your impact on the world. If you motivate someone to do a better job, then you have accomplished your responsibilities as a manager. If you motivate that person to seek a higher level position within the company, then you have helped the organization grow. Through motivation you will be able to accomplish higher goals. I hope you enjoy reading about power. Think about your own power. Where does it come from? How will you use it?

(Adapted from Dr. Melody Hufman)