Leadership in Transformation - From "Power Over Anything" to "Power for Something"

Do you still remember your first day as a leader?

Perhaps there was that quiet voice inside you: Finally. I made it. Finally, an office with a door. Finally, a seat at the table where the important decisions are made. Finally – and this is perhaps the most honest part – a bit more influence and control over what happens.

Few people sense in that moment that this very power could become a subtle trap.

The Game We All Learned

Anyone who grew up as a leader in a traditional organization has internalized the rules of a system based on an ancient belief: Power is limited. Like cake that doesn't become more. If I have more, you have less. If I rise, someone else must stay below.

The pyramid is steep, and there's little room at the top.

We already learned it in school, this game: Be better than the others. Compete. Show that you deserve it. Later in professional life, it continues seamlessly: Whoever delivers the best numbers gets promoted. Whoever asserts themselves moves forward. Whoever shows weakness falls behind.

And then, one day, you've arrived. Leader. You've won the game – or have you?

The truth is: You're now part of a different game. One based on "power over." Leadership here means: exerting control, making decisions, setting direction. Power over people, processes, results. Power that can be had or lost.

Frederic Laloux describes this dilemma with striking clarity in "Reinventing Organizations": We constantly try to "empower" people – to give them power. But why? Because we took that power from them beforehand. "What if," Laloux asks, "we created structures and practices in organizations where no empowerment is necessary because they're designed so that everyone has power and no one is powerless?"

In his book "Leading by Nature," Giles Hutchins describes the machine dynamic behind this: Organizations are treated like machines – with clearly definable parts that can be measured, adjusted, and controlled. The leadership team steers from above, commands trickle down through management layers to the workers at the bottom. This mechanistic logic creates fragile organizations based on control, fear, and exploitation – undermining trust, disempowering employees, and corrupting deeper meaning.

Harvard professors Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey discovered something startling: Most leaders and employees do a second job they're not paid for – the job of managing the impression others have of them. Hiding weaknesses. Playing politics. Concealing uncertainties. Hiding their true selves behind a professional mask.

This costs. Not just energy, but also innovation, trust, and genuine collaboration. It costs us our vitality.

The Socialization to Power

Many of us carry this conditioning, more or less pronounced, within us. The conviction that life is a competition. That nature – and therefore organizations – are characterized by competition and struggle. Dominate or be dominated. Eat or be eaten.

This worldview runs deep. It shapes how we define success, how we deal with uncertainty, how we lead – and how we see ourselves.

Parker J. Palmer, expert in leadership development, speaks of five "shadow monsters" that leaders encounter on their inner journey. The first and perhaps most powerful: uncertainty about one's own identity and worth.

Many of us have learned to derive our worth from our role. From the title on the business card. From the power we have. From the control we exercise. If we let go – who are we then?

Very personally, I can say that I myself have had to invest much energy and still do to shed this identity. It requires courage. It requires strength. And it requires the willingness to question oneself.

This uncertainty leads us to hide behind the armor of the ego. We cannot truly listen because we ourselves are not stable enough. We must control because we're afraid of losing control over ourselves. We create settings that rob others of their own power – as an unconscious defense against our own instability.

Palmer writes:

"Good leadership comes from people who have penetrated their own inner darkness and arrived at the place where we are one with each other."

So the question is not just: How do I lead differently? But: Who am I when I no longer have power over others?

The Shift: From "Power Over" to "Power For"

Mary Parker Follett, a visionary management thinker of the early 20th century, coined the term "power with" as early as the 1940s – power with others, not over others. Her insight was far ahead of its time: True leadership emerges not through dominance, but through co-creation. Through the collective creation of something greater than ourselves.

Research proves her right. A meta-analysis by Pearce and Sims (2002) shows: Shared Leadership – distributed leadership where different team members take on leadership roles depending on the situation and competence – leads to significantly better results in change management teams than traditional vertical leadership.

Studies by Carson, Tesluk, and Marrone (2007) in consulting teams and by Hoch and Kozlowski (2014) in virtual teams demonstrate: Shared leadership not only strengthens team cohesion but also promotes innovation and adaptability. It doesn't just make organizations more human – it makes them more successful.

The difference?

• Power over asks: "How do I control the outcome?"
  

• Power for asks: "What wants to emerge here, and how can I contribute to it?"

It's a shift from ego to deeper nature. From identification with the role to connection with meaning. From fear to love. From narrowness to spaciousness.

What May Change Within

This is where it gets personal. Because this shift doesn't happen through new processes or org charts. It begins in you. In the quiet chamber of your heart, where no one is watching.

1. Letting Go of the Illusion of Control

We must admit something that is simultaneously liberating and frightening: We never really had control. Organizations aren't machines – they're living systems, interwoven with complex, unpredictable human relationships. The more we try to control, the more resistance we create. Like a gardener pulling on flowers to make them grow faster.

Hutchins writes:

"When we as leaders can let go of outdated mechanistic tendencies and expand our limited view of the organization, we open ourselves and our teams to how life naturally works – in harmony."

This means: developing trust. In people. In the process. In what wants to emerge.

But what does this mean concretely? It means redefining the role of leader. No longer as the one who must have all the answers, but as someone who asks the right questions. As someone who creates space instead of filling it. As someone who recognizes and liberates potential instead of pressing it into prefabricated structures.

The paradox is astonishing: When we stop controlling, we actually gain more influence. Not through power, but through resonance. Not through instructions, but through inspiration. Teams that are allowed to self-organize develop a sense of ownership and creativity that no control structure, however sophisticated, could ever produce.

2. Acknowledging One's Own Uncertainties

Hutchins invites us to look honestly: Where am I hiding behind my role? Where am I projecting my uncertainty onto others? Where am I excluding people because I myself am not stable enough to tolerate their otherness?

This requires courage. The courage to endure uncertainty without immediately having to resolve it. The courage not to always know the answer. The courage to see mistakes as learning opportunities – in oneself and in others. And above all: The courage to believe in the inherent wisdom of the system that can self-regulate when allowed.

"Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic selfhood. As we do so, we will not only find the joy that every human being seeks – we will also find our path of authentic service in the world."

— Parker J. Palmer

3. From Competition to Cooperation

The conviction that life is a zero-sum game sits deep in our collective consciousness. But it's an illusion. Nature shows us: Yes, there is competition. But there is also cooperation, symbiosis, mutual support. The forest doesn't survive through competition alone, but through the underground network of roots that shares nutrients.

When we internalize this worldview, everything changes. We stop seeing others as threats. We begin to think in possibilities instead of limitations.

The shift from competition to cooperation is a powerful step that transforms not only our relationships but also our own well-being. Imagine how much easier life becomes when we don't constantly compare ourselves to each other or try to outdo one another. Instead, we could focus on learning from each other, supporting one another, and growing together.

Cooperation doesn't mean we give up our own goals – on the contrary. It opens new ways to achieve these goals by joining forces and complementing our strengths. It's a perspective that requires courage because it asks us to let go of old patterns. But the reward is enormous: a (work) life full of possibilities where we make a positive difference not just for ourselves but for others.

4. Redefining Identity

Who am I when I'm no longer "the boss"? When I'm no longer the one making the decisions? When my worth no longer depends on my position?

Perhaps then I'm: Someone who holds space. Someone who listens. Someone who serves.

Hutchins describes this transformation as a "death-rebirth process" – a letting go of the old identity to discover a deeper one. An identity that doesn't come from the role but from connection with something greater. With life itself.

This shift doesn't mean you're less valuable when you no longer have "the power." On the contrary – it opens the possibility of moving to a deeper level of being. It's about not being defined solely by one's role, but by the relationships one builds and the values one lives.

It's a step away from the notion that our worth lies solely in what we do or achieve. Instead, we can focus on how we connect with others, how we support, and how we serve. In this new identity lies enormous power – the power to act from a place of authenticity and connectedness.

5. Cultivating Presence

The shift from "power over" to "power for" requires a different quality of presence. Not the presence of the controller, but that of the witness. The listener. The one who senses. The person who is truly there.

This kind of presence means being truly in the moment – without judgment, without the need to immediately intervene or control. It's about creating space where things can unfold, rather than shaping or forcing them.

Such presence requires practice. It begins with mindfulness – consciously perceiving what is, without wanting to immediately evaluate it. It means stepping back to truly encounter other people, emotions, or situations.

When we cultivate this quality of presence, we create an environment where trust can grow like a plant in spring. A space emerges where power and control don't dominate, but empathy and genuine understanding do. It's an invitation to see the world with different eyes – with more compassion and openness.

Perhaps it's not always easy to adopt this attitude, especially in stressful or challenging moments. But the more often we try, the more this presence becomes a natural part of our being. And that's what true power is – the ability to be there without dominating.

What Changes When We Let Go

1. Decisions Become Better – Not Slower

A persistent myth stubbornly persists: If one person no longer decides alone, everything takes forever. Reality tells a different story.

At Buurtzorg, the Dutch care organization with over 10,000 employees, there are no managers. Teams of 10-12 nurses organize themselves completely. The result? Highest patient satisfaction, lowest costs in the sector, and employees who love their work – not just endure it.

Why does this work? Because the people closest to reality can make the best decisions – when you let them. When you trust them with what's in them.

Frederic Laloux puts it this way:

"We are all natural sensors; we are gifted at noticing when something doesn't work as well as it could or when a new opportunity opens up. With self-management, everyone can be a sensor and initiate change – just as in a living organism, every cell perceives its environment and can alert the organism to necessary changes."

2. Responsibility Is Shared – And Grows

In traditional structures, responsibility is often a burden distributed from above like unwanted homework. In self-organized systems, it becomes something people voluntarily take on – because they sense it's important. Because it becomes their thing.

Klein, Ziegert, Knight, and Xiao (2006) showed in their study of medical teams in emergency rooms: When leadership roles dynamically shift between team members – depending on who has the best expertise at the moment – not only does performance increase. New leaders continuously develop. Leadership becomes a skill everyone develops, not a privilege few possess.

At FAVI, the French automotive supplier, there are no sales targets from above. Salespeople set their own goals – if they find it helpful. At Morning Star, the world's largest tomato processor, employees set their own goals for their processes to drive continuous improvement. They measure indicators, compare them with self-set goals, analyze causes, and experiment with new ideas.

The difference from top-down targets? These goals are usually defined at the local level, close to reality, where results can be predicted with some certainty. And they remain flexible – open to the unexpected, to new possibilities that couldn't be imagined when the goal was set. They breathe with life.

3. Purpose Becomes the Compass

When the pyramid flattens, something else is needed to provide orientation. Not targets from above, but a shared meaning. An evolutionary purpose – the question: "What does this organization want to bring into the world? What deeper calling are we following?"

Hutchins uses a beautiful analogy: Profit is like breathing. We need it to live, but it's not our reason for living. The organization needs healthy profits to live, but that's not its reason for living. Healthy profits flow from purpose, not the other way around.

"The key is to dissolve identity and figure out: 'What is the organization's mission?' Not 'What do we want to do with this organization as property?' but rather 'What is the creative potential of this living system?'"

Brian Robertson, Founder of Holacracy

Purpose isn't what we impose on the organization. It's what wants to come through it – when we become quiet enough to hear it. Our task as leaders? Listen. Sense. Hold space for what wants to show itself.

4. Collaboration Becomes Systemic

When we shift from "power over" to "power for," how we collaborate also changes – inside and outside the organization.

The living organization is in a state of constant change, interwoven with complex, responsive processes of human relationship. It is inherently emergent – meaning something new arises that is more than the sum of its parts. Small interventions in one part of the system can have great influence on other parts – like acupuncture, where releasing blockages not only enlivens the localized area but frees energy flow throughout the entire system.

Instead of communicating through power- and control-based bureaucracy, we learn to work with the right rhythm of divergence and convergence – a breathing between opening and focusing that enables emergence.

The Paradox: Less Power, More Impact

This is where it gets exciting and a bit paradoxical. Leaders in self-organized systems have less hierarchical power. They can no longer make every decision or control everything. And yet they are more important than ever.

Their role shifts: from conductor to gardener. They create and hold the space in which the system and the people within it can unfold. They protect new practices from old reflexes. They embody the attitude they want to see in the system. They are guardians of the space of possibility.

Margaret Wheatley and Myron Kellner-Rogers put it poetically:

"In an emergent world, we can no longer stand at the end of something we have fully imagined and make our plans backward from that future. Instead, we must stand at the beginning, with clear intent and a willingness to engage in discovery."

This paradox is an invitation to radically rethink leadership. It's no longer about exerting control, but creating trust. Self-organized systems need leaders who inspire rather than dictate, and who have the courage to allow uncertainty – because they know that innovation dwells precisely there, in the uncertain.

It requires a special ability to let go while remaining present. The art lies in not prescribing everything, but creating a framework in which creativity and personal responsibility can grow. This also means leaving room for mistakes – because only then can genuine innovations emerge. Only then can we learn.

In a world that is constantly changing, flexibility is key. Leaders become companions who support change instead of blocking it. They promote collaboration, strengthen relationships, and help develop a shared vision that carries everyone.

In the end, it's about embodying an attitude that inspires others. An attitude that shows: We are ready to learn together, to grow, and to explore the unknown. Because true impact doesn't arise through power, but through trust, courage, and openness.

The Benefit for Everyone in the System

This transformation is not a romantic ideal. It's a strategic necessity – and at the same time a path to more humanity that brings measurable results.

For employees it means: More autonomy, more meaning, more room for creativity. People who experience themselves as effective are more engaged, healthier, and more productive. They stay longer, they think along, they carry the organization through stormy times. They bring their whole selves to work – not just the professional mask.

For leaders it means: Less overload, more focus on what's essential. Instead of suffocating in micromanagement, they can dedicate themselves to what really counts: giving direction, creating meaning, building connections. And they experience a deeper form of fulfillment – not through control, but through the growth of others. Through experiencing that they've enabled something greater than themselves.

For the organization as a whole it means: Higher adaptability, faster innovation cycles, more resilient structures. Companies that rely on distributed intelligence and shared responsibility survive crises better and seize opportunities faster. They become magnetic places where people want to work – and word gets around. In times of skilled labor shortages, this isn't a luxury but vital for survival.

For customers and society it means: Better products, more authentic relationships, more responsible action. Organizations that are healthy from within also have a healing effect outward. They contribute to a world we all want to live in.

What You Can Try

You don't have to turn your entire organization upside down. But you can start leading differently – and being differently. Here are concrete steps you can take:

This Week:

• Observe yourself: When do you try to exert control? What do you feel in that moment? Fear? Uncertainty? Impatience? Just notice, without judging.

  
  

• Ask a different question: Instead of "What should they do?" ask "What does the team need to find the best solution?"

  
  

• Practice letting go: For a decision you normally make – let someone else make it. Observe what happens in you. Endure it.

  
  

This Month:

• Take time for self-reflection: Who am I without my role? What truly gives me worth? Write it down. Talk about it with someone you trust.

  
  

• Invite your team: Let them make a decision completely on their own – one you would normally make. Trust the process.

  
  

• Ask together: "What are we really here for? What do we really want to accomplish?" Take time for this question. It's more important than most meetings.

  
  

This Quarter:

• Experiment with rotating roles: Who could take on which leadership task? Let leadership circulate like energy.

  
  

• Create structures for peer feedback and collegial consultation: Make learning a shared process, not a top-down evaluation.

  
  

• Establish a practice of mindfulness: For yourself and perhaps also for the team. Even just five minutes of silence at the beginning of a meeting can change everything.

The Journey Is the Destination

The shift from "power over" to "power for" isn't a switch you flip. It's a journey. One that's sometimes uncomfortable. That requires patience. That confronts us with our own fears – of loss of control, of meaninglessness, of the unknown.

Hutchins reminds us:

"It's quite natural as a leader to experience starts and stops, wobbles and setbacks during this letting-go process. When a problem arises or quarterly numbers are bad, it's all too easy to fall back into old control patterns."

This journey begins with a decision: the decision to rethink leadership. Not as a position, but as an attitude. Not as a privilege, but as a responsibility. Not as power over, but as power for.

And it continues in a thousand small moments: In the question that is asked instead of the instruction that is given. In the trust that is given instead of the control that is exercised. In the space that is opened instead of the door that remains closed.

But it's also a journey that makes us more alive. That creates more space – for creativity, for connection, for genuine collaboration. For organizations that don't just function but breathe. That don't just survive but thrive.

Perhaps that's the real game-changer: When we stop treating organizations like machines we must control, and start seeing them as living systems we can nourish.

When we stop wanting to have power over something, and start using power for something.

What would then become possible?

What would emerge if we truly let go? If we trust? If we serve instead of rule?

Perhaps a world where work no longer divides but connects. Where organizations no longer exhaust but nourish. Where leadership is no longer a burden but a gift.

This world is possible. It begins with you. With me. With all of us.

Now.

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If you'd like to dive deeper:

• Carson, J. B., Tesluk, P. E., & Marrone, J. A. (2007). Shared leadership in teams: An investigation of antecedent conditions and performance. Academy of Management Journal, 50(5), 1217-1234.

• Hamel, G., & Zanini, M. (2016). Bureaucracy Mass Destruction. Harvard Business Review.

• Hoch, J. E., & Kozlowski, S. W. (2014). Leading virtual teams: Hierarchical leadership, structural supports, and shared team leadership. Journal of Applied Psychology, 99(3), 390-403.

• Hutchins, G. (2022). Leading by Nature: The Process of Becoming a Regenerative Leader. Wordzworth Publishing.

• Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. L. (2016). An Everyone Culture: Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization. Harvard Business Review Press.

• Klein, K. J., Ziegert, J. C., Knight, A. P., & Xiao, Y. (2006). Dynamic delegation: Shared, hierarchical, and deindividualized leadership in extreme action teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 51(4), 590-621.

• Laloux, F. (2014). Reinventing Organizations. Nelson Parker.

• Palmer, P. J. (2004). A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life. Jossey-Bass.

• Pearce, C. L., & Sims, H. P. (2002). Vertical versus shared leadership as predictors of the effectiveness of change management teams. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 6(2), 172-197.