Power and Authority

            Power and authority, most of us at some point in our life have held it over others; some people have had power all of their life and others have acquired it through hard work and commitment.  It is important to realize what power is and how it is different from authority, it is also important to realize that even though you might have authority you might not have all of the power you think you have. Sometimes those with the true power are the ones which are hiding in the background, and sometimes those who think they have power are just used as a puppet for everyone to be distracted by. In the work place and in our society power and influence are constantly shown in public, we can see this in politics. Many times we might count on our politicians to make a change in society but there can be other forces at work which will not allow this. We see power and influence at work, sometimes we might ask our boss for a raise but the people who are actually making these decisions have already made the choice for your boss. There is a lot we do not know behind every profession and to know all of the answers to what lies underneath is almost impossible.

            Power and influence can be seen outside of work also, it exist in our everyday lives amongst our families and our relationships with a significant other. If we think about the relationships of powerful people, many times we might see that a young woman will be with a much older man and we think why is this woman with someone whom she might not have anything in common with? In this case it is easy to see that the man’s source of power might be his wealth, although I will say that this is not always the case. Money is a power source which is understood as “reward power”, “reward power is the perception by the target person that an agent controls important resources and rewards desired by the target person” (Yukl 2013, pg. 195). The authority relationship is a big source of this power also; I will use the example of my family life which is a constant power and authority struggle which I must deal with on a daily basis. Even though I am twenty eight years old I have been lucky enough to have a teenage daughter which turns sixteen in a month. I can say that this has made my life very interesting but as kids get older we all know that it is a struggle to keep some sort of power, control and authority over them. I have found that my source of power which is the money I make has given me the authority to take away my teenage girl three essential items which I have provided her with.  Those three items are her automobile, phone and make up without these items that I can use as my power source I feel that my life would be much more difficult. Something to keep in mind is also for someone with authority and power is that you do not want to abuse the power that you have; you do not want to only rely on power alone for you will not be able to develop your relationships.  

            At Home it seems that I have all of the power in the world, I am the boss or at least my wife lets me feel that way. At work things are different, as a rail traffic controller I do have the authority most of the time but I do not possess all of the power. My job is to move trains and maintenance personal by giving them authority on to my track which I am in charge of. If I do not give authority on to my track then nobody gets on my track to complete their job; this means that no one can go home without my help. The power source which I possess at work is called “legitimate power”; “power stemming from formal authority over work activities” (Yukl 2013 pg. 194). The nature of my power is authoritative; I have been entrusted with this power from a hire authority. This is a good authority to have so that I can get what I need but at the same time there is always someone with more power than me at work. All it takes is one phone call to my chief asking them to politely change my mind about when I give out my authority and I am forced to comply.

My power at work and at home helps me to lead by giving me certain options which would not be available if I was powerless. I am able to make certain decisions on my own accord which helps me to prioritize and run a smooth railroad, this power although not used often nor abused gives me the strength I need to be a better leader . I am able to be a better leader to my family of five and to the two hundred workers across my assigned territories which depend on me to get them home safely on a daily basis. 

References:

Yukl, G. A. (2012). Leadership in organizations. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.