Power does not reveal who you are.
Power amplifies who you are.
The question is not whether you have power.
The question is what you do with it when you get it.
Power.
Almost everyone wants some.
Few understand it.
Fewer still handle it well.
Whether it is power in a family, a business, a classroom, a church, a city, or a nation, the moment power enters the room, responsibility enters with it.
The two were never meant to be separated.
HUMANS AND POWER.
This subject is something we all know about.
Until you have had your own experience with it though, you haven’t fully lived the lesson.
Human beings often do not handle power very well.
Instead of learning about power before using it, many receive power first and learn afterward.
Unfortunately, people can get hurt during the learning process.
Power has a way of exposing what is already inside a person.
If there is kindness inside, power magnifies it.
If there is selfishness inside, power magnifies that too.
If there is wisdom, it grows.
If there is arrogance, it spreads.
Power is like sunlight on a garden.
Whatever seeds are present begin to grow.
POWER SHOULD HUMBLE YOU.
When a human being comes into power, it should be a humbling experience.
Not an intoxicating one.
It means your decisions now affect other people.
Your words carry weight.
Your actions ripple outward.
Your attitude influences outcomes.
I remember reading how Moses cried out to God after Pharaoh finally released the Hebrews.
His concern was not status.
His concern was responsibility.
“GOD, how will I provide for all these people?”
That is the response of someone who understands leadership.
Not excitement over authority.
Concern for stewardship.
HE WHO HAS THE GOLD…
History gives us examples of both good and bad leadership.
I remember learning how President Nixon used governmental power against those he viewed as opponents.
When I first read that, it troubled me deeply.
Because the moment power is used for personal revenge, it ceases being leadership and becomes control.
The Golden Rule teaches:
Treat others as you would want to be treated.
Power that forgets this lesson becomes dangerous.
George Washington offers another example.
After serving his country, he longed to return home and live quietly on his farm.
Think about that.
One of the most powerful men in the world wanted less power, not more.
Perhaps that is why he was trusted.
MORALE RUNS THE SHOW.
I have walked into businesses where tension filled the air.
Nobody had to tell me something was wrong.
You could feel it.
Employees moved carefully.
Conversations were guarded.
Smiles were scarce.
Usually, the problem could be traced upward.
Leadership affects atmosphere.
Atmosphere affects morale.
Morale affects performance.
The soul of a business often reflects the soul of its leadership.
TYRANTS AND GHOST TOWNS.
Where tyrants rule, creativity dies.
Initiative disappears.
People stop caring.
They merely comply.
Fear replaces enthusiasm.
Growth slows.
Innovation vanishes.
People may remain physically present, but emotionally they have already left.
NOT CARING IS ALSO A LEADERSHIP STYLE.
The opposite problem exists too.
Where leadership is absent, indifference thrives.
No accountability.
No direction.
No standards.
No ownership.
I remember years ago visiting government offices where it seemed nobody cared.
The attitude was contagious.
The atmosphere felt tired.
That too comes from the top.
Leadership is always teaching something.
Even when it says nothing.
GOOD EXAMPLES.
I once visited DreamWorks and was impressed by the environment.
People were relaxed.
Creative.
Engaged.
Productive.
The atmosphere encouraged success instead of demanding it.
Disneyland impressed me for similar reasons.
Employees were encouraged to help guests first.
If helping someone caused a delay elsewhere, management understood.
People came before procedures.
Nordstrom built a reputation around customer service.
Again, people first.
Notice the pattern?
The best organizations understand something important.
People are not obstacles.
People are the purpose.
SERVE…DON’T RULE.
One of the greatest misunderstandings about power is believing it exists so that others serve you.
The opposite is true.
The higher you go, the more people you serve.
Good leaders guide.
They encourage.
They direct.
They teach.
They listen.
They take responsibility when things go wrong.
They share credit when things go right.
A title may give you authority.
Only service earns respect.
THE FAMILY TEST.
Power is not limited to presidents and CEOs.
Parents possess power.
Teachers possess power.
Pastors possess power.
Managers possess power.
Police officers possess power.
Older siblings possess power.
Anyone capable of influencing another person possesses power.
The question remains the same.
Will you use it to build?
Or will you use it to dominate?
TRUE LEADERSHIP.
Over the years I have come to believe that leadership is less about being in charge and more about being accountable.
A true leader asks:
How can I help?
How can I improve this?
How can I make things better for others?
How can I leave this place better than I found it?
That mindset changes everything.
A PEARL TO CONSIDER.
One of the recurring themes throughout Pearls for the Soul is this:
“The purpose of life is to discover the purpose of life.”
Part of that discovery is learning that every gift comes with responsibility.
Knowledge.
Talent.
Influence.
Money.
Position.
Authority.
Power.
All of them are tools.
And tools can build or destroy depending on whose hands they are in.
WHAT THEN?
If you have power today, be grateful.
If you seek power, seek wisdom first.
If you lead others, serve them.
If you influence people, protect them.
If you are in charge, remember why.
Power is not a reward.
It is a responsibility.
And the greatest leaders understand something that many never learn:
The best way to lead people…
Is to love them enough to serve them.
Lead.
Follow.
Or get out of the way.
But whatever you do…
Use your power wisely.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
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