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Machiavelli, power and power games

POWER IS AN UGLY WORD. WE DON’T LIKE IT. BUT POWER IS INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM LEADERSHIP. A LEADER’S PRIMARY TASK IS TO INFLUENCE OTHERS. HOW DO YOU DO THIS? IN OUR TIMES, WE PUT TOO MUCH FAITH IN SYSTEMS AND ROUTINES. POWER IS FIRST AND FOREMOST A RELATIONAL, RATHER THAN POSITIONAL, DYNAMIC. THE LEADER’S ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND AND USE POWER RESPONSIBLY DEFINES THE LEADER’S SUCCESS.

500 years ago, Machiavelli wrote the management book of all time: The Prince. Machiavelli is often misunderstood. His thinking is based on realpolitik when he claims that interests and ambitions will always be in conflict. Leaders are therefore obliged to address power. Power is a political dimension of a practical nature that is about achieving objectives. Leaders must be adept in the use of power and they must be extremely aware of how power can be abused.

Themes of relevance include:

  • Machiavelli’s view of teamwork and leadership.
  • The bedrock of power: Dependency and defining the reality.
  • Analytical abilities for reading the landscape of power.
  • What is the potential for achieving results through strategic and tactical measures in the world of power?
  • Power games at work – game theory in practice 
  • What are the drivers in organizational political games?
  • When must you be brave, when must you employ shrewdness? 
  • Mastering alliances, networks, and relations. 
  • The danger of losing yourself in the execution of power.

 

Learning lessons from history, from well-known leaders and distinctive leadership cultures is interesting and inspiring. They bring the history and the stories to you in a unique and fascinating way.

Harald Norvik, former Group Chief Executive at Statoil and chairman of the board at Telenor and SAS