Power What is it Who has it Why do I want it

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PowerWhat is it?Who has it?Why do I want it?

• Power the ability to influence others the
  willingness to be influenced by others

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Personal Power Bases

• 1. referent--subordinates relationship with
  supervisor
• 2. information--secretarys have this, inside
  know
• 3. expert--technical, professional, etc.

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High CommunicatorsInformation Brokers

• Exist in every organization
• May not hold formal position
• Know the history of the organization
• Know everybody, know how to get things done

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High Communicators---

• You should befriend them, win their respect
• Help you get into the organization and the power
  structure
• Respect their confidences
• Share your expertise with them

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Really high communicators...

• Upgrade
• EVERYONES
• Competence and Effectiveness

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Positional Power BasesRely On

• 1. Reward
• 2. Coercion
• 3. Legitimate
• 4. Connection

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Power as Empowerment

• The NEW buzzword
• in education.
• Empowering
• Teachers

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Legitimizing the Leadership Role

• Ability
• Credibility
• Representation and Buffering
• Anointing Social Distance
• Insulation from other Competing Initiations
• Persistence Practice
  
• Momentum

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Power Begets Power

• Deference
• (Battles Won)
• Higher Status and
• Power
• Still More Respect
• and Deference
• Still HIgher Status

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Truetts Vacuum Theory of Power

• Whenever the legitimate power holder does not
  exercise his/her power, someone will come in and
  fill that power vacuum by taking over the
  exercise of power in the organization. This may
  or may not be good for the organization because
  they often cannot be held accountable.

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One final aspect of power to look at
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Line and staff authority--
School Board I District Superintendent I School
Principals I Counselors -- Teachers at Each
School Librarians Other Support
Staff I Students
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Is the school librarian line or staff with the
faculty?

• How does this affect his/her power?
• How can she/he influence others in the
  organization?
• Why is this a special challenge?

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Assignment
Analyze the power structure in some organization
you know by determining 1. What are the power
bases? 2. Who is the formal leader? 3. Who are
the informal leaders? 4. Who are the information
brokers? 5. Conclusions you can draw for the
SLMS.
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And finally.....

• How could you as a new or the current school
  media specialist in this organization gain power?
• How would you use that power?