![Leadership coaching] Sometimes wielding sheer power is necessary, but most times it’s not.[/caption] Neither are leadership and responsibility the same thing. Responsibility carries with it the expectation of others acting responsibly. When one person feels responsible for every action that takes place within an organization, then organizational paralysis can be the result. Power and responsibility must be balanced carefully, whether you’re raising children, commanding an army, or preparing for a merger. Skillfully balancing power and responsibility benefits not only the leader but the team and the organization as a whole. Power: Using It Wisely In the world of physics, power is a rate of doing work. It requires a change in the physical universe as well as a specific time period in which that change happens. In a corporate setting, there are many similarities. A leader may promise to have a detailed, 300-page report on a client’s desk by Thursday noon and may well deliver. But using power unwisely (such as when a leader promises unrealistic results) can result in resentment on the part of the people doing the work, or delivery of a product that is not of sufficient quality. When a person rules by fiat, he or she must be prepared to live with the risks, including the risks to his or her position as a leader. Responsibility: Reliability and Accountability The word “responsibility” traces its origins to the Latin “respondere,” which means “to respond.” This idea of responding to a situation evolved into a more nuanced meaning of being answerable. While responsibility primarily means that one is accountable for actions, it also incorporates connotations of trustworthiness, obligation, and reliability. Unlike power, responsibility implies consequences. The difference between, “I order you to finish that report by 4 p.m.” and “I need you to be responsible for the final report. How soon can you turn it around and be confident about the quality?” is the difference between lack of trust and trust in someone else’s abilities. Responsibility also implies a sort of transitive property. If I trust you to complete a task and you don’t do it, I bear some of the responsibility because I trusted you when perhaps I shouldn’t have. Having responsibility and delegating responsibility require a relationship based on understanding and trust. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fofsa244f%2Fproduction%2F447a9643f34148d13b0f6af5ed6e967232477a6e-600x400.jpg%3Frect%3D0%2C13%2C600%2C375%26w%3D480%26h%3D300&w=3840&q=75)
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John Mattone
Leadership, Power, and Responsibility: A Delicate Balancing Act
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