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Hagberg: Stages of Personal Power

In Real Power: Stages of Personal Power in Organizations, Janet Hagberg outlines an evolutionary approach to the development and utilization of power. The book also discusses the gender-specific concerns of women and men regarding power.

stagesStages of Power

Ms. Hagberg describes six stages of power, where each stage is typefied by the mindset, approach and concerns of the person having power (or in the first stage, lacking power). The first three are highly externally focused: the stages are defined largely in relation to others having power and to outward and visible signs of power. The last three stages are more internally focused, and therefore personal. This makes stages four through six increasingly difficult to articulate.

Within the book is the premise of advancement. A person starts out at stage one and transitions, through various crises of movement, transcending into subsequent stages. The author contends that one must move through the stages in the given order; there is no skipping. It is difficult to even understand stages which are considerably advanced beyond the stage you currently occupy; this is part of the difficulty in even describing stage six. However, the person at stage five is not necessarily either a better person or more formally powerful than a person at stage two; the person at stage five is more advanced in the application of power.

Each stage of power has different positive and negative attributes, rewards, burdens and developmental challenges. There are times when one is content with one’s stage, and others when one feels “stuck.” Age and experience do not guarantee advancement, although some of the necessaries of advancement are available through life experience.

It is possible for a person to be in different power stages in different roles at the same time (e.g., parent, manager, employee, citizen), but a person will have a natural affinity for one stage more than the others at any point in time.

The remainder of this section is excerpted from the book.

stage 1Stage One: Powerlessness

Key word

manipulation

Feeling

trapped

Characteristics

Crisis of Movement

What Holds People Back?

Ways to Move

 
  • build self-esteem
  • find allies
  • get support
  • develop skills
  • appreciate yourself
  • share yourself
  • confront fears
  • take responsibility
  • talk with your boss
  • change jobs
  • get out of abusive relationships
  • confront yourself

stage 2Stage Two: Power by Association

Key word

magic

Feeling

“be like Hoppy”

Characteristics

Crisis of Movement

What Holds People Back?

Ways to Move

 
  • find a mentor
  • get feedback
  • be competent
  • get credentials
  • get more involved
  • find solutions
  • take risks
  • develop networks
  • take care of yourself
  • do something on your own
  • examine your image
  • take on the masculine if necessary
  • work out relationships

stage 3Stage Three: Power by Symbols

Key word

control

Feeling

dynamo

Characteristics

Crisis of Movement

What Holds People Back?

Ways to Move

 
  • learn to be alone and to seriously reflect on yourself
  • try new things that make you think differently
  • get support from a stage four, five or six person
  • build networks
  • concentrate on the present
  • be reflective about the next stages

stage 4Stage Four: Power by Reflection

Key word

influence

Feeling

sandwiched

Characteristics

Crisis of Movement

What Holds People Back?

Ways to Move

  • forgive others
  • experience the loss of me
  • have long silent times
  • let go
  • experience loss
  • glimpse wisdom

stage 5Stage Five: Power by Purpose

Key word

vision

Feeling

the irregulars

Characteristics

Crisis of Movement

What Holds People Back?

Ways to Move

[undefined]; in individual ways

stage 6Stage Six: Power by Gestalt

Key word

wisdom

Feeling

souls of the earth

Characteristics

Note: the stage six that can be described is not the true stage six

Crisis of Movement

What Holds People Back?

Ways to Move

[undefined]

Power, Management and Leadership

Stage
 Motivated by Manages by Leads by Inspires
1
 fear muscling force fear
2
 learning maneuvering seduction, deals dependency
3
 rewards monitoring personal persuasion a winning attitude
4
 process mentoring modeling integrity hope
5
 empowering moseying empowering others love and service
6
 service musing being,
being wise		 inner peace

Find Out More: Get the Book

real power Real Power: Stages of Personal Power in Organizations
 

Last modified Monday, 14-Jul-2014 16:38:10 EDT

All lists, tables and drawings on this page are taken from the above cited book.
All contents not otherwise identified copyright © 2001 Stephen Rojak. All rights reserved.
 
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