EXPERIENCE
I n the behavioral research I’ve pattern: While people usually gain power through traits and actions that advance the interests of others, such as empathy, collaboration, openness, fairness, and sharing; when they start to feel powerful or enjoy a position of privilege, those qualities begin to fade. The powerful aremore likely than other people to engage in rude, selfish, and unethical behavior. The 19th-century historian and politician Lord Acton got it right: Power does tend to corrupt. I call this phenomenon “the power paradox,” and I’ve studied it in numerous settings: colleges, the U.S. Senate, pro sports teams, and a variety of other professional workplaces. In each I’ve observed that people rise on the basis of their conducted over the past 20 years, I’ve uncovered a disturbing
Managing Yourself Don’t Let Power Corrupt You How to rise to the top without losing the virtues that got you there by Dacher Keltner
2 Harvard Business Review October 2016 COPYRIGHT © 2016 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PUBLISHING CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This document is authorized for use only by kiki g (kristi.grotsch@shangri-la.com). Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Please contact customerservice@harvardbusiness.org or 800-988-0886 for additional copies.
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker