The Power of Position - Part 3 of the Power series
Clever me. I did parts 1 & 2 and totally forgot part 3....well here it is.
The Power of Position is the 3rd universal expression of power as documented by Angeles Arriens in her book The Four Fold Way. The power of position speaks to taking a stand. What you stand for; how you stand up for yourself. it also refers to spatial intelligence or where you put things in relation to the space you are in - how to extend respect, set boundaries, align word with action.
In business, the power of position is often confused with authority or the size of the office. Particularly, in hierarchical cultures, the size of the office is assumed to be a statement of importance. Anyone who has ever worked in politics knows that this is illusional at best. Personal power is what ever person has. The power of position refers to how you as a person shows up, knows where they stand, what they contribute, why they are here. Purpose is a natural extension of that conversation of course.
Power and force are frequently confused. Force is one way of wielding power but it is not the same as power. Physicist David Hawkins explains this very well in his book Power versus Force and helps us see how that plays out politically as well. An earlier post I referred to Cy's film www.spentaproductions.com which is about power in politics and how it is used. Head over there or to YouTube for a revealing historical insight into how important one's relationship with power is to the capacity to weild it effective.
David Hawkins is a psychiatrist, not a physicist.
Posted by: Scott Jeffrey | March 27, 2008 at 05:18