Power Dynamics: How Power and Leverage Work
How a fictional drama demonstrates the complex choices leaders must make when facing cunning opponents.
Effective leaders understand power dynamics. A power dynamic is a relationship between people and how they relate to and interact with one another.
Power dynamics exist in both personal and professional relationships. But how do they work? And how can you, as a leader, be aware of how your power may impact others?
Understanding power dynamics is an essential part of being an effective leader. And what better way than by watching a show?
A FASCINATING POLITICAL THRILLER
Recently, I watched a show that provided an intriguing look at power dynamics in the workplace and political arena.
The show was Queenmaker, a Netflix from Korea.
With its many plot twists and complex characters, it is full of examples of power dynamics and offers a captivating view of how power dynamics can complicate everything. As a viewer, you're left wondering how everything will be resolved!
Spoiler alert: This article does have spoilers! I have put them in blue text so you can squint your eyes and skim on by if you want.
Understanding Power DynamiCS
Let's consider a simple model to understand the power dynamics that happen.
The Power Person (PP) is the one who is exerting the power. The person's position or formal authority doesn't matter; what's important is their ability to influence others.
The Influenced Individual (II) is the person affected by the PP's actions.
Queenmaker: A Study in Power Dynamics
The main character of Queenmaker is Hwang Do-hee, a fixer who resolves various appalling problems.
Do-hee starts out as ruthless and evil. She carries out the whims of a family that owns a conglomerate, the Eunsung group. This family is greedy and controlling, and Do-hee has the fun job of cleaning up all their messes and spinning things in their favor.
Eventually, Do-hee quits her job and starts working for a mayoral candidate known as Oh Kyung-sook, also known as Rhino, a beacon of justice. Do-hee is the Power Person, and Rhino is the Influenced Individual.
THE aim OF POWER
Power works because each person has a goal.
The Power Person wants something, and the Influenced Individual also wants something. These are the goals they are trying to achieve.
Do-hee seeks revenge against the Eunsung group, while Rhino strives to make the world a better place and ensure justice prevails.
Power Moves: Positive Pushes and Power Plays
If the Power Person sees that the Influenced Individual can help them accomplish their goals, they exert power upon the Influenced Individual. This is what we’ll call a power move.
The type of power exercised can be positive or negative.
Positive power moves are perceived as positive interactions. They benefit the person being influenced or result in good outcomes. We'll refer to these as positive pushes.
Negative power moves are coercive, selfishly motivated, or lead to harmful or negative outcomes. We’ll call these power plays since they often involve manipulation or coercion.
People are complex. How they influence others depends on the person being influenced and how the Power Person chooses to act.
Some PPs take the high road and are only willing to make positive power moves.
Others will bend the rules and make negative power moves, threatening, coercing, or engaging in questionable behavior.
Influenced Individuals also make their own choices in how to respond. They can react positively or negatively.
What makes Queenmaker so intriguing is Do-hee's capacity for ruthlessness, coupled with her transformation into a more caring person who helps Rhino win the election.
Do-hee and Rhino both aim to win the election. When Rhino becomes discouraged and considers quitting, Do-hee uses positive pushes to challenge and encourage her to keep on track.
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The Power of Leverage
Things are harmonious when leaders share the same goal and have aligned objectives. But if both people have different goals, the sparks start to fly.
The Power Person has a choice in how to motivate the Influenced Individual to help the PP achieve the PP’s goals.
To execute a power play, the PP needs leverage over the II, something that compels the II to act against their preference.
If the II resists, the PP can use this leverage to harm the II or prevent them from reaching their goal. The PP can bring down the hammer to force the II to comply.
In Queenmaker, both Do-hee and Rhino want Rhino to get elected. Rhino genuinely cares about people, and generally she uses positive pushes to achieve the goals.
But Do-hee is much more ruthless, and she is willing to do illegal things to help Rhino win. Like giving out bribes. Or engaging in blackmail. Little things like that.
The leader of the Eunsung group, the family matriarch, is equally ruthless. If Rhino wins the election, the Eunsung group will lose its power.
So Mom Eusung springs into action to prevent this outcome. She hires a cunning mastermind named Carl to frame Rhino's son, using the son’s safety as leverage over Rhino to pressure Rhino to step down. Mom pits Rhino’s desire to get elected against her love for her son.
This just won’t do for Do-hee, who will do just about anything to get Rhino elected.
She makes a power play and approaches the daughter of Mom Eusung and gets Mom’s daughter to make an illegal campaign donation to the Rhino. This campaign helps Rhino’s election move ahead.
However, this action leads to an investigation when authorities discover that Rhino has received an illegal campaign donation.
They find that those donations came from a shell company that was Mom Eusung’s private slush fund. And Mom used the funds to give out bribes. Which lands Mom in jail.
Unfortunately, it also lands Do-hee in jail. But it is worth it — Do-hee has intentionally sacrificed herself to tear down the Eusung empire and Mom in particular.
What a complex web!
CONSEQUENCES
Understanding power dynamics is essential to stewarding your power effectively. But not only is the use of power important, but it's also important to consider the consequences. This scenario illustrates how complex power dynamics can become and create consequences.
A Power Person can use a power play and threat of punishment to influence someone into creating the desired outcomes. But the consequences of making the power play can cause negative results for the PP.
However, if the desired outcome is positive, then the PP can be seen as doing something good because they sacrificed themselves.
Your choice
Queenmaker also underscores the importance of character and integrity in the use of power.
Under pressure, it's easy to compromise and resort to power plays. While these may yield short-term gains, they breed distrust, fear, and toxicity in the long run.
Positive pushes sometimes come with a cost and may feel slower, but also can avoid many painful long-term consequences. Like jail.
As a leader, it’s your responsibility to understand how power dynamics can impact your people. Are you exercising healthy power dynamics or unhealthy power dynamics?
I’d love to hear your thoughts below…what dynamics of positive/negative leadership moves have you also observed?
