Hardwired Humans. Andrew O'Keeffe
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thought they could, the three CEOs of the uS automotive companies were preoccupied with their own interests—but got a rude shock when the reaction of the public reduced their chances of gaining government support.
Of course, we appreciate working for people who demonstrate the positive dimensions of power and who contain or avoid the negative tendencies of power.
Managing power in organisations
The famous Milgrim research is a sobering reminder to leaders of the power of their position. In 1974 Stanley Milgram conducted studies of positional power. One of his studies involved a ‘teacher’ administering electric shocks of increasing voltage to a ‘learner’ each time the learner made a mistake. The subjects, filling the role of teacher, believed that the experiment was a study of the effect of punishment on learning, when in fact it was a study of the influence of authority.
The individual subjects in the role of teacher were unaware that the learner subjects were actors who feigned the pain of the electric shocks. While the teachers hated what they were doing and pleaded with the researcher that they be allowed to stop, no teacher steadfastly refused to administer the shocks before the 300 volt level. Notwithstanding their anxiety, the teachers abided by the instruction to keep delivering the electric shocks. About two-thirds of the teachers pulled every one of the 30 shock switches up to the last switch (450 volts) until the researcher ended the experiment.
Milgrim explained that this was indicative of a deep-seated sense of duty that people have to those in authority and a reluctance not to defy the wishes of the boss.
Organisations with good cultures implement systems to constrain inappropriate use of power by managers. For ten years from the mid-80s I worked for IBM. Here was an organisation with effective systems to manage power. The systems constrained managers by equipping staff with ways to complain of alleged inappropriate use of power by leaders. The systems included open door reviews, anonymous ‘speak-ups’ and regular employee surveys. Leaders in the organisation knew that if they abused their power they would likely be found out and the issue addressed, including possibly being moved from their leadership role. There were consequences. Leaders were appropriately constrained.
Motivation to lead
A potential tension associated with the status drive explains why some people accept management roles but have little interest in the people aspects of their elevated job. The natural way to progress in the organisational hierarchy is through the management line. And not surprisingly, strong technical performers are naturally promoted to lead the team of technical professionals. The problem arises when people with little interest in leading are promoted. People without an interest in managing people might accept the manager role because it provides for them the desired elevation in their social group. It is often the fastest way up the pecking order. But while their status is enhanced, leaders with little interest in managing people will struggle with this key dimension of their job.
Professor Nicholson calls this interest in leading a ‘motivation to lead’. He points out that some people, through the make-up of their personality, just don’t have an interest in leading and that such folks should not be put in charge of other people.
Chimps, too, seem to vary in terms of individual interest in leading or not leading. Dr Goodall could see whether an individual male from a young age appeared to have the personal drive—the personality—to seek to be alpha.
When Figan was a youngster, Dr Goodall saw from his form of play that he had the personality to try to be the alpha. As a youngster, Figan was apparently impressed with how Mike rose to become the alpha. Mike, at the time the lowest ranked male, became skilled at using empty kerosene cans that were stacked near Dr Goodall’s camp at the time. Mike developed a technique of incorporating these cans into his dominance display and became so skilled using three cans as props that he rose through the ranks until he reached the alpha position. (We’ll come back to Mike’s display later.)
Like a human child kicking a soccer ball and imagining World Cup glory, young Figan practised using the cans. He was the only one that Dr Goodall observed playing with the cans. She would sometimes see him all alone, in a clearing in the jungle, skilling himself with the cans. He appeared to be readying himself for the contests he would need to take on as an adult. Years later he was ready to rise through the ranks and did so to become the alpha male.
IMPLICATIONS OF THIS INSTINCT FOR LEADERS
Here’s a snapshot of what we have learned about the instinct of hierarchy and status.
1 Hierarchy helps complex social animals function in their communities.
2 Progression in the pecking order is a strong motivator.
3 Leaders should have the most power in their group.
4 There are positive and negative tendencies associated with power.
5 The appropriate use of power is a key leadership dimension.
There are significant practical implications of hierarchy and status which, if incorporated into your toolkit, will make managing people easier.
Implication 1. Licence to lead
A reassuring implication of this instinct is that the natural order of human groups is to indeed have a leader. The leader has a licence to lead. Without leadership, human groups become dysfunctional.
Knowing that leaders have a licence to lead is of particular importance for first time managers and managers appointed from within their team. First time managers are often uncertain in their role. Hierarchy and status should give them confidence that the team wants them to lead. But if the leader doesn’t lead, someone else will assert themselves to fill the void.
Implication 2. Motivation to lead
We just covered the possible tension caused by a team leader who is driven by status to accept the job of leader but has little or no interest in doing the ‘people stuff ‘.
How appealing to you are the tasks outlined in Instinct 1 and repeated below? These are the people-leadership tasks that come with being the leader of a family-sized team:
set direction for the team so people have context for their role
connect the group to the rest of the organisation so they can see the value they deliver
be an advocate for the team
provide appropriate resources so people can succeed
defend the team against unreasonable demands of others
set goals so people have clarity in their role
give feedback to help people learn and grow
value people’s contribution
provide an environment where people can progress to enhance their social standing
take care in bringing new members into the team
set the standards of behaviour and performance
hold to account those who don’t work to those standards
minimise rivalries, address any conflict within the team and ensure harmony.
It’s a demanding list. To repeat, the good news is that people want an effective leader. The bad news is that if the leader doesn’t deliver on these responsibilities, the group will become dysfunctional.
If the list of activities doesn’t appeal to a prospective team leader, they should either re-evaluate whether people management is for them or accept that they need to take an interest in providing these responsibilities to the team and acquire the skills to do so. Motivation alone to progress in the hierarchy is not enough.
Implication 3. Use of power
Power can be underused or overused.
Overuse of power by the boss can drive compliance. Most people want to keep in sweet with the boss. Why wouldn’t they? It’s the