ABSTRACT

Power, leadership, and management are interrelated concepts that unfortunately are treated separately and individually when defined in the literature. Recognizing the link between leadership and power is the first step in understanding that power, is not inherently a negative or a positive; rather, how power is used determines how it is perceived. R. P. Vecchio connects management and power when he states that “power is an essential feature of a manager’s role. Without some degree of power, a manager would find it very difficult to direct the efforts of subordinates”. One of the major problems people have with the concept of power is their individual perception of what power means. Many people conflate power with a term with a similar definition – manipulation. Political behaviors and the appropriate use of power provides leaders with tools necessary to move their institutions forward. Power and political behavior are natural functions in any bureaucratic/hierarchical organization, particularly large ones such as colleges and universities.