David McClelland’s Need for Power: Personalized and socialized power

According to David McClelland’s motivation theory model, people are motivated by the need for achievement, power and authority, and affiliation (Lazariou, 2015). As McClelland postulated, when a person draws motivation from achieving a particular objective, they embrace challenges and advance to realize their purpose. Besides, such people rely heavily on feedback which provides them with a strong sense of accomplishment. On the other hand, people motivated by affiliation increasingly interact and create friendly relations with others to become popular. Lastly, people motivated by power and authority desire to gain control, influence, and impact others. In this sense, such people seek leadership positions to exercise power and their ideas. Despite wielding power and authority, this person is motivated by prestige and high personal status (Lazariou, 2015).

Power is the ability to influence people or situations, overcome challenges, or exert authority. In society, people with less power are less likely to control matters and are more likely to be directed by those with power. According to McClelland’s model, leaders or people within powerful positions exercise personalized or socialized power. Personalized power denotes a scenario where the leader employs their authority to obtain absolute control over situations and team members. Such leaders seek to boost their status and influence in this state of affairs while providing little or no consideration to stakeholders or the organization (Lazariou, 2015). For instance, Adolf Hitler possessed and exerted personalized power over his government, armed forces, and citizens. Using propaganda and other unconventional strategies, Adolf Hitler gained undying support of his nation and steered his country into turmoil to bolster his image as a world leader (Thomas, 2015).

On the contrary, socialized power describes a situation where the leader or person in authority exercises control for a collective benefit rather than self-interest. In this sense, leaders with socialized power acknowledge that involving other people is essential for achieving their goals. Due to this outlook, such leaders never manipulate others, accumulate material possessions, or seek to increase their influence. More importantly, socialized power favors consultation, inclusivity, individual consideration, and participatory decision-making, which ultimately leads to unity, success, and progress. As one of the most recognizable historical figures, Nelson Mandela embraced socialized power. During South Africa’s struggle against apartheid, Nelson Mandela faced numerous adversities, including torture and imprisonment. Nevertheless, he remained relentless, campaigned peacefully, and maintained a nationalistic outlook. Even after becoming president, he served only for one term and paved the way for new leadership despite his sacrifices for his country. This noble act demonstrates that Nelson Mandela practiced socialized power.

Personal experience

Due to the complexity of life situations, people exercise personalized and s socialized power interchangeably. I use personalized power quite often, especially in family relations. As the eldest child in my family, I grew up exercising personalized power over the other siblings since I had more responsibilities and a greater capacity to make decisions. Besides, as a stay-at-home mother of five, I exert personalized power over my children since I school them from home. Regardless of how much power I have in the household, it is not possible to overrule the rest of my family. As a mother leader, I am a crucial source of support, courage, and inspiration to my family. Although I have authority over them, I recognize that each child has a unique character, abilities, and weaknesses. In this position, I use socialized power to encourage my children to remain focused on the objectives because when one excels, we all benefit. Besides, I listen to their suggestions and advice since they have the right to correct me when I make mistakes. More importantly, I uphold trust and dignity within my family because every member will become a leader of their own family in the future.

Reference

Lăzăroiu, G. (2015). Work motivation and organizational behavior. Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice, 7(2), 66-75.

Schoemaker, P., & Krupp, S. (2014). 6 principles that made Nelson Mandela a renowned leader. Fortune. Retrieved 6 September 2021, from https://fortune.com/2014/12/05/6-principles-that-made-nelson-mandela-a-renowned-leader/.

Thomas, G. (2015). Hitler: His Ability to Use Power and Influence for Control. Sites.psu.edu. Retrieved 6 September 2021, from https://sites.psu.edu/leadership/2015/03/08/hitler-his-ability-to-use-power-and-influence-for-control/.