There is a lot of talk these days about empowerment yet very few managers actually do it because they seem to be more concerned with exerting their own power. This is understandable because power can be addictive and it takes courage, faith and belief to let go and truly empower others. How effectively are you empowering your team?
You are probably familiar with the ancient proverb “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”; it is interesting to note how the latest research into neuroscience has discovered why. When an animal has won a few fights against weaker opponents it develops the ability to win fights against stronger opponents. This is called the “Winner effect” and it affects the structure of the brain. Numerous studies now show that when we feel more powerful we increase our levels of Testosterone making us more assertive, better at focusing on relevant information and seeing hidden patterns. Feeling powerful also reduces our Cortisol levels making us less stressed and more willing to take risks.
Power poses
Amy Cuddy, Associate Professor at Harvard Business School did some very interesting experiments to demonstrate that a change in our posture can have a significant effect on our thinking and behaviour, especially in relation to power. She got two groups of students to strike a number of poses. One group was asked to stand and sit in a number of ‘Power Poses’, for example: standing with an upright body, feet shoulder-width apart and hands on hips; standing in front of a table with palms flat on the table surface and leaning forward; sitting back with feet up on the table; or with legs crossed with one foot resting on the other knee and arms up with hands clasped behind the head, or leaning on the back of the next chair.
The other group was asked to stand and sit in ‘Closed poses’, for example: standing with legs tightly together, slightly hunched back, drooping shoulders, head down and eyes looking at the floor; sitting with forearms resting in their lap hands around the waist, ankles crossed and tucked under the chair, eyes looking down; Sitting hunched forward with forearms resting on the table folded across the front of the body and eyes looking down at the table. Both group held the various poses for a total of only two minutes.
The two groups then had to take part in a challenging job interview. The interviewers were unaware of the posing exercise. The interviewers were unanimous in selecting the students who had struck the Power poses. They stated the candidates were more comfortable in the interview and gave reasons for choosing them like the fact that they were more enthusiastic, confident, passionate, authentic and captivating.
Part of the experiment also included a saliva test to measure Hormone levels. The students who struck the Powerful poses had significantly higher testosterone and lower cortisol and the ones striking the closed ‘Powerless’ poses had significantly lower Testosterone and higher Cortisone than the control group.
Amy went on to conclude that “Our bodies change our minds . . . and our minds change our behaviour. . . and our behaviour changes our outcomes . . . Tiny tweaks can make huge changes”
The Downside
However, there is a downside to power. We are now all familiar with the enormous power the leaders of the major banks had when their shares and personal bonuses were rocketing year after year. The vast amounts they were earning and their personal power made them so full of testosterone and so lacking in cortisol that they began to think of themselves as having special gifts and personal control over events which were in fact way beyond their control. They expected to always win and simply took ever greater risks. Experiments show that even small amounts of artificially induced power increase susceptibility to this illusion. It also increases hypocrisy, egocentricity, and lack of empathy for others. This clearly explains the original proverb quoted above.
While the bankers are an extreme example, many managers can slip into the power trap and think they are the only ones who can succeed in a role or at a particular task; therefore never giving others the opportunity to gain experience. Yet, the science shows that with as little as two minutes of ‘Power Posing’ our brains change, sending signals to boost testosterone and reduce Cortisol, this in turn focuses attention and willingness to step up to the challenge.
Opportunities
What opportunities does this research give you with regard to empowering your people? Or indeed empowering yourself? What can you do to encourage your people to become more empowered? What responsibilities can you begin to delegate?
Amy Cuddy says that rather than “Fake it ‘till we make it” we should “Fake it ‘til we become it”. This means practicing the power poses (in private!), especially before important meetings, and taking on more responsibility whenever possible on a regular basis. By taking responsibility for small things and achieving good results we also get the “Winner Effect” mentioned above, so we can take even more responsibility in our stride.
Pamela Smith, a social psychologist at Radboud University in the Netherlands suggested giving people more responsibility and autonomy now rather than waiting for them to prove themselves. In her experiments people put in the role of ‘Superior’ quickly began to demonstrate significantly better results in tests of executive function (analytic, abstract and creative thinking). It is worth mentioning that in her experiments some students were put in ‘Subordinate’ roles and they scored significantly lower in the thinking tests. Smith and her colleagues went on to demonstrate that just thinking about a time when you had a little power over others makes you more likely to think in more abstract and creative ways.
This research has many implications with regard to empowerment. People often want quick answers and are too lazy to think for themselves because it takes a lot of effort, so they ask their manager and feeling like a subordinate only exacerbates this. It’s up to you to make the change.
Are you one of the many managers who espouses empowerment but unwittingly behaves in a way that makes people feel ‘subordinate’? Are you really giving your people autonomy and responsibility or are you keeping them in the subordinate role by giving the quick answers; ‘advising’ and making decisions for them?
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, it takes courage, faith and belief to let go and truly empower others. But, the latest thinking in neuroscience is helping to prove it is possible and I would love to hear your thoughts, opinions and ideas about your experiences as you experiment with some of the empowerment strategies mentioned above.
Do let me know how you get on.
Remember . . . Stay Curious!
With best regards
David Klaasen
www.InspiredWorking.com
David Klaasen is director and owner of the niche HR consultancy, Inspired Working Ltd. (www.InspiredWorking.com)
We now have a new website packed full of learning resources for managers for more info see www.InspiredWorkingonline.com
If you have a communication or performance problem and would like some objective advice drop him a line at info@InspiredWorking.com.
