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Power motivation and leadership:
How does power motivation influence leadership styles and effectiveness?

Overview

Let us imagine that Ahmed, the newly appointed CEO, has always been driven by a strong desire to succeed and exert influence. Ahmed is an authoritative leader, making decisions unilaterally while disregarding team input. The company grows rapidly initially, but over time cracks begin to appear. There is a decline in employee morale, a slowdown in innovation, and an increase in turnover rates. Although Ahmed's power motivation has led to some success, it has also created a toxic environment at work. In what ways does this drive for power affect Ahmed's long-term effectiveness as a leader?

Key Concepts and Importance:

  • Power Motivation: The desire to control or influence others is a fundamental aspect of leadership. It can drive leaders to achieve great success, but if unchecked, it can also lead to negative outcomes.
  • Leadership Styles: The way a leader's power motivation manifests can determine their leadership style, from authoritarian to transformational, each having distinct impacts on team dynamics and organisational effectiveness.
  • Impact on Effectiveness: Understanding the role of power motivation is crucial in predicting and improving leadership effectiveness. Leaders who can balance their desire for power with empathy and inclusiveness tend to foster healthier, more productive work environments.
Focus questions
  • What is power motivation, and how does it manifest in leadership?
  • How does power motivation influence different leadership styles?
  • What impact does power motivation have on leadership effectiveness?
  • Can power motivation contribute to both positive and negative leadership outcomes?
  • How can leaders balance power motivation with other leadership qualities to enhance effectiveness?

Power Motivation: Definition and Theories

Understanding Power Motivation

Figure 1. David McClelland American psychologist behind the Motivation Theory of Needs
  • Power motivation is defined as the drive to control or influence others, often stemming from an individual’s need to assert dominance or achieve high status within a group (McClelland, 1975).
  • Significance: Why power motivation is a critical aspect of leadership psychology.

McClelland's Theory of Needs

  • The Three Needs: Achievement, Affiliation, and Power.
  • Power Motivation: Differentiating between personalised power and socialised power.
  • Application in Leadership: How McClelland’s theory applies to leadership roles.

Power Motivation in Organisational Leadership

  • High Power Motivation: Characteristics of leaders with strong power motivation.
  • Balancing Act: The importance of balancing power with other leadership qualities.
  • Case Examples: Real-world examples of power-motivated leaders.

Case Study: Donald Trump

  • Leadership Style: Autocratic and Transactional.
  • Power Motivation:
  • Impact:
  • Controversy and Division:

Leadership Styles Influenced by Power Motivation

A model shows the effort and enagement a leader may go through depending on their leadrship style, see Figure 1

Autocratic

  • High control, low team input.
  • How a strong desire for power shapes autocratic leadership.

Democratic

  • Shared decision-making, team collaboration.
  • The influence of socialised power motivation in democratic leadership.

Paternalistic

  • Leadership with a guiding, parental approach.
  • How power is exercised with a protective stance.

Laissez-faire

  • Minimal intervention, high autonomy for team members.
  • The potential lack of power motivation in laissez-faire leaders.

Transformational

  • Inspiring change, motivating through vision.
  • The positive use of power motivation to drive transformation.

Transactional

  • Focus on routine, rewards, and punishments.
  • How power motivation drives transactional interactions.

The Role of Power Motivation in Leadership Dynamics

  • Influence on Team Dynamics: How different power motivations impact team cohesion and performance.
  • Power Struggles: The potential for conflict when power motivations clash within leadership teams.
  • Long-term Leadership Sustainability: The impact of power motivation on the sustainability of leadership effectiveness.

The Effectiveness of Power-Motivated Leadership

Positive Impacts

Driving Organisational Success

Empowering Teams

Promoting Innovation and Growth

Negative Impacts

Risks of Toxic Leadership

High Turnover Rates

Balancing Power Motivation for Leadership Success

Strategies for Balance

Leadership Development Programmes

Conclusion

  • The theory and research of psychology explore how power motivation shapes leadership styles and their effectiveness. When a leader is motivated by power, he or she looks for ways to influence others. However, how this motivation manifests itself-through personal or group power-significantly impacts the results they get.

See also

References

Ahmet Aydemir, & hakan Kolayiş. (2023). The impact of power and leadership on motivation. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 30(11), 184–192. https://doi.org/10.53555/jptcp.v30i11.1850

Friederichs, K. M., Waldenmeier, K., & Baumann, N. (2023). The benefits of prosocial power motivation in leadership: Action orientation fosters a win-win. Plos One, 18(7), e0287394–e0287394. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287394

Hasan, E., Khajeh, A., Abu, M., & Asaari, H. (2018). Impact of Leadership Styles on Organizational Performance. Journal of Human Resources Management Research, 2018(2166-0018), 2166–2184. https://ibimapublishing.com/uploads/articles/JHRMR/2018/687849/687849-1.pdf

McClelland, D. C., & Watson Jr, R. I. (1973). Power motivation and risk-taking behavior. Journal of Personality, 41(1), 121–139. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1973.tb00664.x

Schattke, K., & Marion-Jetten, A. S. (2022). Distinguishing the explicit power motives: Relations with dark personality traits, work behavior, and leadership styles.Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 230(4), 290–299. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000481

Wang, J., Qu, S., Li, R., & Fu, Y. (2022). Power motivation arousal promotes prosocial behavior in the dictator game depending on social presence. PLOS ONE, 17(11), e0277294. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277294

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