Real Power: Stages of Personal Power in Organizations

by Janet O. Hagberg

Janet O. Hagberg has written a dynamic book about power -real, personal power- for forward-looking people and organizations who want to harness their own power for the common good. "I wrote this book," says Hagberg, "to transform the way we think about power and leadership. It takes people on a journey beyond achievement and sucess to a stance in which power comes from their inner core and they lead from their souls."

There is no doubt that the world is ready for a new model of leadership. In this third edition, Janet Hagberg addresses much that she has learned from her readers. The result is a deepening of the descriptions of each stage, a new way to think about the dark side of each stage, new stories of each stage derived from her readers, a connection to the spirituality expressed at each stage, as well a description of "The Wall" between Stages Four and Five. Throughout the book, the author adds more of her personal story to illustrate her experiences and observations of each of the stages of power.

Completely revised, 2003 edition

Hagberg's Stages of Power applied to many areas of leadership

Revolutionary thinking on leading from the soul

Chapters on both women and men and power-how they differ

Useful as a text in a variety of college classes

Excellent as a guide to personal growth

Easily adaptable to use in corporate leadership seminars

About the Author:

Janet O. Hagberg is an author, public speaker, spiritual director, and social activist. She has written seven books including The Inventurers, Real Power, Wrestling with Your Angels, and The Critical Journey. She is currently the Executive Director of The Silent Witness Initiative. This organization's goal is to eliminate domestic violence homicides by the year 2010.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Psychology, Business

316 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hagberg must have written an earler book by this title- I read it in 1988. It had a profound effect on the way I looked at myself and others around me- the stages of power etc...

[Barry Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author presents a series of sources of personal power that represent a sequence of levels, ending with what she describes as “real power.” After introducing the topic, she provides chapters on each of the six stages, including a questionnaire for the reader to gauge their affinity to the stage, descriptions of the stage, characteristics of individuals in each stage, the relationship of each stage to what she terms as spirituality and spiritual connectedness (this area, although interesting, is not in line with my view of biblical Christianity), the “shadow” or negative ramifications of the stage, and examples of individuals in the stage. Each chapter closes with insights on moving to the next stage of power, what may be holding back this move, a summary graphic of the stage. Hagberg also comments on gender and ethnic issues in these areas.

Following are the six stages:
Stage One - Powerlessness: characteristics include dependence, getting things through others, uninformed, low in self-esteem, helpless but not hopeless.
Stage Two - Power by Association: apprentices, learning the culture, dependent on supervisor/leader, new self-awareness.
Stage Three - Power by Achievement: the most prevalent stage in America, characteristics include a mature ego, realistic and competitive, expert and ambitious.
Stage Four - Power by Reflection: reflective/confused, confident in collaboration, strong, comfortable with personal style, skilled at mentoring, and showing true leadership.
The Wall - A stopping point between Stages Four and Five: moving beyond intellect, letting go of control, loving detachment, embracing shadow, getting to core, finding intimacy with a higher power, and glimpsing wisdom.
Stage Five - Power by Purpose: self-accepting, courageous, calm, conscious of the organization, humble, practical mystics, elusive qualities, generous in empowering, and confident of life calling.
Stage Six - Power by Wisdom: integrating shadow, unafraid of death, powerless, quiet in service, conscious of the community and the world, and compassion for the world.

The author closes this highly insightful and resourceful book by applying the stages to leadership functions, managing, and gender issues. The book closes with a step by step approach to leading from the soul, represented with the following steps:
1. Be accountable
2. Assess your leadership journey,
3. Practice Vulnerability.
4. Play without feeding your addictions.
5. Experience solitude regularly.
6. Try one new artistic endeavor.
7. Travel as far from home as possible.
(the final six steps are, according to Hagberg, much more challenging)
8. Take your spirituality seriously.
9. Find a mentor at the fringe.
10. Find peace and intimacy in your relationships without avoiding conflict.,
11. Embrace your shadows and childhood wounds.
12. Discover your passion.
13. Accept your calling.

Although Hagberg and I may diverge on the topic of spirituality, this book has exceptional and practical insights on discovering and applying the principles of “real power.”

[Bob Wolniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Describes six (sometimes situational, sometimes not) cumulative stages of capacity for action and reflection with examples, list of characteristics, shadow or negative expressions, and what helps people move from one stage to another. Full of wisdom and heartfelt, sensitive to various issues like managing needs in each stage, specific advice for women and men, etc. Builds easily off the other book on stages of faith.

[Tyler Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for my Senior Seminar course at Nazarene Theological Seminary under Dr. Derek Davis.

This was an interesting and revealing exploration of "power" dynamics in the workplace and in life. I thought it was helpful in reflecting on myself and my typical mode of operation in the workplace. It definitely provides more context on how to productively interact with coworkers & bosses and on how to grow personally into a more mature person.

[Ron Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a student of true leadership, this is an important read. The final chapter makes this book. And yet accessing its wisdom demands you read it all. Brilliant, thoughtful, wise and clear. Well done!

[Garland Vance · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started this book very excited for two reasons: first, I had read Hagberg's previous work (The Critical Journey) and found it deeply insightful on the stages of spiritual growth; second, several professors had recommended this book to me and raved about it.

As you can tell by my 1 star rating, my initial excitement ended in desires to be finished with the book as soon as possible which led to a fast skimming of the last hundred pages. I would have put the book down much sooner had it not been a school assignment.

Here are a couple of my complains with the book:
1. Hagberg takes the exact same model that she uses for spiritual development and imposes it on leadership development: 6 stages; the 4th stage involving a crisis and a "wall"; etc. I found myself wondering if she would super-impose this model on any developmental framework she used.

2. Throughout her description of the last stage, she repeatedly says that the people who have reached this stage have often abandoned organizational leadership or that they are difficult to find. They can only be described by other people. That's like making a case for the existence of bigfoot by talking to people who claim to have seen him but constantly saying, "Bigfoot does not wish to be seen; he has long since abandoned public appearances."

3. Her syncretistic religious tendencies cloud everything. For each stage she attempts to talk about how one's spirituality fits into this stage of leadership. Yet her meaning of spirituality is so broad that it becomes useless.

For the most part, any highlights from the book were found in quotes that she used from other people.

If you're looking for a framework of leadership development, I would highly recommend Clinton's The Making of a Leader. While it is a bit dry (written by a former engineer), it is heads and shoulders better for understanding the development of a Christian leader. In the meantime, avoid Real Power.

[Amit Sood · Rating 5 out of 5]

If your life is calling you to take up something more purposeful, it may be a call to the next stage of consciousness. You might sense some anxiety as you even consider leaving the safely familiar rat race behind. If this is going on for you this book will distinguish what is going on for you. You have outgrown the previous stages to deny yourself the next is to deny yourself your growth.

It is unfortunate that this brilliant book has not gone into print for a while and the versions available are far too expensive.

However, a brilliant summary of this powerful book is included in chapter 4 of Leon's 'A Shift in Being'.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

[Al Soto · Rating 5 out of 5]

"As part of my MA program I read this book and it is an amazing analysis of the stages of power that people can move through. This book is a must. I wrote a Critical Analysis on the chapter that discusses the "Wall" experience. That chapter alone is incredibly insightful for those who desire to lead from the middle to the back of a team. Her model on the stages of power is incredibly helpful for training purposes. If you are a leader that desires to develop strong teams this book will act as an incredible grid for assisting a leader to assess their own level of leadership."

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

An area of personal interest as a life long observer of organizational life and how people grow, or fail to adapt and grow.

I can't say that I read it cover to cover, but did spend some time on each of the Six Stages and found the themes to be accurate and relevant with my experience of development. It will be a useful tool for me to utilize.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this book (even though it's a leadership book) because when it tells you to picture yourself accomplishing a goal, it also asks, "What are you wearing when this happens?". Awesome.

[Jebmak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Put it down. Haven't finished it.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the books I read early in my career. Recommended reading.