Mod 5.

3:
Case Study and Reaction Paper
“The Fragile Balance of Power and Leadership”

Nicole Savinda
Seton Hill University
February 2021
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For this assignment, I chose the article titled “The Fragile Balance of Power and

Leadership” by Angela M. Jones and Sheri L. York. With the help of many credible resources,

Jones and York give a very detailed description of the difference between power and

leadership. Not only do they give the definition of each, but they also tell why they believe that

the use of power is not the best way to lead a group. Here, we are going to dig into the

meaning of power versus leadership; as well as the advantages and disadvantages of being a

person of power.

What does it mean to be a leader? According to Merriam-Webster, a leader is “a

powerful person who controls or influences what other people do: a person who leads a group,

organization, country, etc.”. (Leader) Every leader, however, is not an effective leader. To be

an effective leader is someone who can bring out the best in other people. (Clawson, p 85)

He/she recognizes the potential of every individual and has the best interest of the organization

in mind.

Leadership “is a relationship between people who are working toward a common goal”.

(Jones, 2016) Leadership is the ability to manage energy, in yourself and in others. (Clawson, p

19) As a leader, you must be able to motivate people to contribute toward a shared goal. It is

never about the leader’s success,but more importantly, it is always about the success of the

organization. In order to be successful, a leader must have a good moral foundation. An

ethical leader must always tell the truth, keep his promises, be fair to everyone and have

respect for every person. (Clawson, p 86) “One of the most critical components to effective

leadership is establishing a trustworthy relationship.” (Jones, 2016)

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Power. It can be a good thing if used the right way. “Power is the ability to make

something happen. Power in an organization is the ability to get others to do what you want

them to do.” (Clawson, p 19) The problem with power is that it can be taken too far,

sometimes becoming manipulation. There are five different sources of power: legitimate

authority, coercion, reward, expertise, and personal reference. (Clawson, p 198) When used

properly, power can be very effective. For example, referent power is being influential because

you are admired. People want to be like you because they look up to you.

Unfortunately, power is not always used in a good way. Legitimate authority (aka

legitimate power) is the use of one’s title or position to force control. This use of power can

create dissatisfaction, resistance, and frustration among employees. (Jones, 2016). A leader

who is motivated by power tends to be more concerned with what is best for himself. An

effective leader knows how to use power without letting it consume them. “All effective

leaders have power but not all powerful people are effective leaders.” (Jones, 2016)

I think the case that these two ladies have made in this paper is very accurate. An

effective leader definitely needs to be able to motivate their employees. Being able to

influence them change when necessary is important, but they must be able to do it morally.

When a person gains too much power, it often goes to their head. To remain a trusted leader,

he/she must be able to balance that power while staying true to their morals.

I have run across this exact issue in my workplace. Within my organization, there is one

particular manager who has let her title take over. When I first met her, I believed that she was

a good person. However, after working at the company for a couple years, her true colors
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started to show. She has been known to lie to employees to get them to do what she wants. If

she is questioned about any of her decisions, she gets very defensive. She tends to tell people

that is their job to do what she says, because she is the manager. She has been caught in a few

lies and clearly gets embarrassed when that happens. But it hasn’t stopped her from doing it

again. Unfortunately, she has lost the respect of many employees at the company.

Before taking this class, I would not have thought that leadership and power could be so

different. Learning that power is not always a good thing has really opened up my eyes. Be an

effective leader is something that anyone in a leadership position should strive for. It is

important for employees to respect and trust their leader. If you are able to motivate people

effectively and influence them to do their best at all times, you are well on your way. “The

success of an organization depends on the leader’s ability to balance the fragile relationship

between power and leadership.” (Jones, 2016)

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References

Clawson, James G. (2012) Level Three Leadership: Getting Below the Surface. 5th

Edition. Pretice Hall. Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Jones. Angela M. and York, Sheri L. (2016) The Fragile Balance of Power and

Leadership. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership.

Leader. (2021) Leader’s Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from:

https://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/leader