Knowledge is Power

“Knowledge is Power”, I can’t remember what class session is what said in and I want to say that Ashely Gerlach is the one who shared this idea. I always use to think of this phrase as annoying, to be honest. I thought of it in a way that means, “being smarter is better”. I realize though that my interpretation has nothing to do with knowledge is power. I shared in my first blog that I have discovered that learning about leadership is a continuous and ongoing process. There is always something new to learn about leadership. I really appreciate how in this class we have been learning key leadership skills through class exercises instead of just listening to lecture. We learn more when we are actually practicing the skill, but I think we learn the most when we share our ideas with each other. There have been countless times in our class when someone will share their thoughts and I think to myself, “I never thought of it that way.” The more we are able to see leadership from a different side, the more power we have to influence others around us to be the best version of them.

I think power can be looked at in two different ways in leadership. Some look at power in a way that they want to have control over others while others see power as a way to have a positive influence on others. I don’t look at leadership as having power over followers and making them be “robots” and do what I tell them to do; I look at leadership as a way to impact the followers lives. I especially love how we have looked at leadership from a follower’s point of view. The knowledge that I have learned about followers will allow me to influence any followers that I come into contact with in a new way.

I like how the relational model plays off the “Knowledge is Power” idea by having “empowerment” as a key component of the Relational Leadership model. One of my favorite passages from this chapter is, “Power is not finite and indeed can be shared and amplified.” This passage can be viewed by two perspectives. Knowledge is never finite, especially when it comes to leadership, so the more we learn, the more power we have to share. At the same time, the more power is shared and amplified, the greater the outcome is. I believe that the best results are rooted from more than just one source. Collaboration is key and when we share power, others want to do better just because they feel that they now have ownership.

I never thought that a three-word phrase would have such an impact on how I view leadership. I am grateful that Ashley (or whoever shared this) shared this idea with the class because it made me think and reflect. I love that there is always something new to learn about leadership.