Memorandum
TO: All staff
FROM: Michael Stewart
CC: Mrs. Jane Moore
DATE: 13/10/2020
SUBJECT: Improving on Personal Power and Influence
After taking the lectures on leadership, power, and influence I realized my strengths and weaknesses and I want to improve on the weaknesses and maximize my strengths to be a better leader. Power and influence determine both personal and organizational success. Personal power is a person’s ability to take deliberate and decisive action in any situation. In the past, I have used two bases of power in my relationships with you which include; reward and expert power. I know that rewarding employees improve their motivation in the workplace. Moreover, employees will follow a leader because they believe in the leader’s ability to handle the situation as an expert. The two premises of power have been effective because they have helped me build relationships.
I am a team player and I prefer a collaborative approach to solve conflicts because I believe in the power of networking. Leaders should empower their subordinates for them to grow in the organization. Leadership also calls for decisive measures especially in solving conflicts. Instead of focusing on what one has to gain at the moment, a leader looks at how the approach he/she takes will affect the future. A collaborative leader does not find satisfaction in personal gains but ensures that every participant grows.
One of the gaps that need to be closed to become an effective leader is relational power. Relational power encompasses three elements; the ability to sustain internal relationships, the ability to be open to the world, and the ability to mold ourselves out of the relationships we have with other people. Sustaining internal relationships requires one to take deliberate action of engaging with subordinates and being part of their lives. I know in the past I have participated in team-building activities but I rarely engage people in conversation about their life outside the office. After taking the lessons and assessments I have learned that I need to not only be a leader to my staff but also a person they can depend on in times of need. The world around us keeps changing and as a leader one needs to be open to learning new things and associating with people who might hold different opinions about life and work. I know that I have had reservations about certain beliefs and practices but I now know that to be successful I have to try and view the world from the other person’s perspective. Besides, a leader needs to embrace change and accept some of the influence that other people have on him/her. Several elements shape a person’s behavior such as environment and social relations but one has to know which elements to adopt and which to do away with when striving to become a better person.
Moreover, I believe that effective communication is important in any form of relationship. I am a good communicator but I believe that there is always room for improvement. I need to ensure that my employees can communicate as effectively as I can for us to have a better relationship. In many cases, I struggle to understand a conversation or even a written document from some of you because of grammatical mistakes. I believe that my influence on you will enable you to not only become effective communicators but also gain confidence in taking up leadership roles.
I believe that closing these gaps will help improve on our relationship as well as our growth.