The 108 Skills of Natural Born Leaders

76. Share the Power

Power has a paradoxical property. It increases to the extent that leaders share it with others. The best leaders know they build their commitment base by allowing others to have power. The more a leader allows participation, the more the leader's power gets magnified. The mechanics of this process are quite simple. When a leader allows others to have power, that means people are dependent on the leader for it. Power sharing also increases the leader's base because it creates a sense of equity. People recognize the leader as fair. They see that the leader doesn't need to take all the glory. Equity translates into a form of credibility. Equity builds rapport. Both are formative forces of power. By sharing power, leaders also ...