How to Generate Power

Last week we explored a simple and neutral definition of power as: the ability to effect or influence future change.  However before we can assess whether the nature and direction of any change is going to be beneficial or good we need to contextualise power itself.  It’s only possible to explore and understand the true nature of power when we put it in context.
Some examples of POWER in CONTEXT would include:
Economic Power means the power of money to influence future change in what could be a corporate context or a personal context.  Buying power allows you to change, improve, and enhance the context of your life, thereby influencing your future and the future of others.
When we talk of Scientific Power we have all been watching the power of science and its progeny, technology, transform the very context of our daily lives in the last two decades…everywhere!
And then there is Political Power, which is obviously the power to influence the future of people’s lives and lifestyles by policy and law making.

The Power of Marketing has grown to exploit the media driven context of all our lives and now influences the minds and daily decisions of millions in almost ever area of life.

Then there is Religious Power, which has for centuries exercised the ability to influence and sometimes exploit millions of people’s beliefs and therefore their culture, and therefore the future of the very fabric of our communities worldwide.

Relational Power operates in the ‘context’ of our relationships.  Each and every interaction is pregnant with the possibility to influence the ‘others’ future.  This of course is one of the foundation principles of effective leadership. 

Personal Power takes us into even more subtle territory where the ‘context’ is our own personality.  This is the place where we shape our perceptions and attitudes.  And when we perceive our self as a victim we automatically dis-empower our self.  We all tend to acknowledge those who do not react emotionally or blindly to people and situations. They don’t allow themselves to be affected by other behaviours.  And we recognise that in such moments they ‘stand in their power’.  Here, in the context of the self, we cross the line from influence to control as we all have the power to control our responses which can then have a huge influence on our own future.
Spiritual Power is perhaps the subtlest power of them all where the ‘context’ is our own consciousness. Almost all our religious and spiritual traditions remind us that we all have a deep well of ‘inner peace’ and a deep source of ‘unconditional love’ that we can draw upon and that this ‘inner power’, when realised, is what gives us mastery or command of our inner ‘state of being’.  This then spills out to influence others simply through our presence.  Sometimes we acknowledge this ‘influenciality’ as we recognise and are influenced by the power of someone’s ‘presence’.  This is also one of the main ingredients of ‘charisma’.
Have you noticed yet that what we are really exploring in all these ‘power contexts’ is the use of ‘energy’?  In fact power very much depends on and could also be defined by how we use our energy.  Everything within and around us is simply energy in various forms, whether its physical, mental or spiritual, these are the different levels of energy that make up our outer and inner worlds.  But how do we get from energy to power?  How do we transform our energy into power and how do we direct the use of that power.  In fact what is the difference between energy and power? 
Come with me for a moment back in time to your childhood and schooldays.  Do you remember playing with a magnifying glass in the sun and setting fire to the grass or some other material?  Most of us did, but we didn’t realise at the time that what we were doing was a going to be a powerful metaphor for the rest of our life.

Notice the sun is freely radiating energy in all directions in the form of light and heat.  What we did was as follows.  With the aim of setting fire to the grass we focused the ‘energy’ of the sun through a magnifying glass so that it became so ‘powerful’ it could ignite the grass.  We converted energy into power, which then had the ability to almost instantly influence the future form of the material upon which we focused it.

This is a great metaphor for all our lives because we each have the capacity to take the energy of our life, which some refer to as our own consciousness, and turn our thoughts, decisions and actions into something very powerful.  The equivalent of the magnifying glass is of course a clear sense of PURPOSE, this is what focuses and concentrates our thinking and informs our decision making, empowering us to ‘influence future change’ and make a significant impact in our immediate the world, and even the world at large. The end result, when visible, is often called ‘achievement’.

But purpose is not enough to turn energy into power.  We also need a clear set of VALUES to guide the use of that power.  Just as there are many ways to skin a cat, as they say where I come from (a strange saying as nobody ever skins cats!), there are many ways to achieve a PURPOSE.  And if we don’t use the ‘correct way’ then we will not only diminish the consistency and longevity of our power but we may also affect our self and others in a detrimental way, along the way! 

For example, once upon a time there was a fast food chain whose leaders were split into two camps.  Each group shared the same sense of purpose for their company, which was to provide high quality fast food to the general public.  But the two groups differed in how that service should be delivered.  One group said they should be honest and transparent, open and clear, regarding how the ingredients were sourced and prepared.  The other group said they should spin, obfuscate, manipulate the facts and disguise both source and preparation.  So they all had a common purpose but there was a disagreement on the values that should deliver that purpose.  There was a clash of values.  For some time the company went down the route of obfuscation and the bending of the facts, until they were exposed.  They lost good will and customers, and then attempted to turn it around by turning over a new leaf and opting for the other set of values.  They became more open, transparent and honest. 

And so, in summary, power in the ‘outer’ world can only be explored and understood in the context that it either originates from or operates in. (e.g. science, religion, business etc.) And while PURPOSE can focus energy into power it still requires a set of VALUES to direct the use of that power so that it’s use is not destructive. 

Which leaves us with a deeper definition of ‘power’ as energy focussed by purpose and guided by values to constructive ends.  But it’s not carved in stone!

In returning to the personal or individual level i.e. the ‘inner’ context of power, it means there are two questions that we need to answer before we can make our life as powerful as it’s potential promises.    What is my purpose?  What are my values?

Good questions to reflect upon during this coming week!

 What is my purpose?  What are my values?

What is my purpose?  What are my values?

If unsure of the answers research the meaning of ‘purpose’ and the meaning of ‘values’.  Ask others how clear they are about their purpose and values.

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Ross Galán, NLP Spiritual Life Coach
at the Spiritual Life Coachinh School