The Elements of Power: Lessons on Leadership and Influence - Paperback

by Terry Bacon (Author)

Discover invaluable insights about power and leadership with up-and-coming influencers from the former CEO of a global consulting firm.

Author Terry R. Bacon teaches you how things like your own knowledge, expressiveness, history, character, network, and reputation can open the complex combination lock to true leadership and irresistible influence. Whether you're interested in taking on a more substantial role in your professional or personal life, these tools already at your disposal are the key to achieving success.

Applying the latest research on the nature of power all over the world, Elements of Power shows you:

• how power works in organizations,
• how people use and lose power,
• the relationship between power and leadership,
• what makes famous people powerful,
• and how to lead and influence others more effectively.

Complete with examinations of key business figures and world leaders and a handy self-assessment tool, Elements of Power offers an accessible and unprecedented pipeline to the many sources and types of internal and external power and provides insights on how to leverage each and how to exert the most important power of all: the power of will.

Front Jacket

Power is the fuel that drives your ability to influence and lead. Throughout history, those skilled at wielding personal and organizational power have been able to lead and motivate others, change minds, shape and create movements, influence social trends, and harness others' energies. In the business world, the most powerful leaders drive new initiatives, build high-performing teams, and guide their organizations toward the successful accomplishment of their missions. In fact, if you want to make a difference in any realm of life, you must have power--and the more powerful you are, the more influential you will be. But "power" isn't simply a matter of authority or position. Some managers fail to influence others effectively despite their leadership positions . . . while others who may have little official status seem to lead and inspire those around them effortlessly, and continually accomplish great things. What sources of power enable them to do this? And how can you build and use your own sources of power? Based on groundbreaking research, "The Elements of Power" reveals where power comes from, how it works, and how you can tap into it to achieve your own personal and professional goals, with people of any age and in any part of the world. You'll learn the difference between compliance and commitment, the foundations of agreement, and the different sources of power, including: Your ability to access, organize, interpret, and disseminate information - The power of rhetoric and personal expressiveness - Your use of personal history, relationship, and trust - Interpersonal attractiveness and bonding based on your chemistry with others - How others perceive your character, depending on how you exemplify standards of behavior for your group - Your organizational role and status, and your command over resources - Whom you "know" within your network - How others judge your reputation With revealing case stories, insightful examples, and practical tips and techniques you can use immediately to increase your own personal sources of power, this indispensable book will open your eyes to the myriad possibilities that already lie within your sphere of influence. Filled with dynamic strategies for leading and influencing all those around you, "The Elements of Power" is the guidebook you can bank on for leadership success. TERRY R. BACON was the founder and CEO of Lore International Institute, a widely respected executive development firm recently acquired by Korn/Ferry International. He is now the Scholar in Residence in the Korn/Ferry Institute and is the author of many books including "What People Want" and "Powerful Proposals."

Back Jacket

Do you have the power to get things done? Your ability to lead and influence others is based on your power. Power is a complex combination of one's knowledge, expressiveness, history, character, and attraction, as well as one's resources, position, network, and reputation. Understanding the sources of power and knowing how to amass it is the ultimate key to success. Drawn from groundbreaking research on the very nature of power, "The Elements of Power" examines how people use and lose power, how power works in organizations, and the relationship between power and leadership. Complete with a handy self-assessment, this fascinating book is an essential tool you can leverage to motivate, influence, and inspire others, and to achieve greatness in every realm of your life. Advance praise for "The Elements of Power: " ""The Elements of Power" does an exceptional job of explaining the critical sources of power in any type of organization, how to build power, and how easy it is to diminish power once it is established. Through tangible examples, this book provides ways to better identify and understand how to fundamentally strengthen one's organizational impact at all levels." -- Vicki Rawlinson, Global Head HR Oncology, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation "Terry Bacon breaks down the sources of power and influence at a very granular level, allowing readers greater insight into both sides of the 'Midas Touch'--use and abuse." -- Rahm Sitaraman, EAG Franchise Leadership Development Director, Coca-Cola "If you've ever wished that someone would pull back the curtain so you could learn from the use (or abuse) of power by the likes of Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Eliot Spitzer, Indra Nooyi, Rahm Emanuel, Warren Buffett, and Jeff Bezos, your wish has been granted. "The Elements of Power" neatly dissects the art and science of influence and leadership as practiced by leaders from every part of the globe." -- Tom Connellan, bestselling author of "Inside the Magic Kingdom" "Terry Bacon brings his deep knowledge and a wonderful, wide-ranging sense of curiosity to breaking down this abstract concept--power--into easily understood parts. All readers, but especially business executives, will come away with an invaluable understanding of what power cells are inside their personal battery packs and how to keep them fully charged." -- Gary Burnison, CEO, Korn/Ferry International

Author Biography

TERRY R. BACON is the founder of Lore International Institute, a widely respected executive development firm recently acquired by Korn/Ferry International. He is now a senior partner in that firm and is the author of many books including What People Want and Powerful Proposals (978-0-8144-7232-3).