By Is it true that having a position of power corrupts people and makes them less empathetic? Science has been studying this phenomenon for years and there are data that are worth knowing. This article exposes them.
It is often said that power changes people. It is also said that holding a high position goes to your head and closes your heart. It is true that there are some biases regarding social influence and power. However, this is a phenomenon that gains credibility because we have witnessed it more than once.
Holding a position of relevance requires developing new strategies and behaviours. There is, therefore, a change that aims to sustain that position and articulate a leadership capable of achieving objectives. However, the problem is that, sometimes, this change brings with it aggressive behaviours and attitudes that lack empathy.
What is the reason for this variation in behaviour? Does it occur in all cases or are there exceptions? We will discuss this below.
“I am grateful that I am not one of the wheels of power, but one of the creatures that are crushed by them.”
– Rabindranath Tagore –
Is it true that power changes people?
It is a fact that power can change people, so much so that even the smallest dose of influence in a social environment generates variations in behavior. For example, when a coworker is promoted in a company , there are traits in his dynamics that are transformed from one day to the next as a consequence of that new position.
In an article published in the Journal of Management, they highlight that leadership and power do indeed change the person who exercises it in every organizational context . However, the consequences that these variations can have on aspects such as interaction with the environment or the way decisions are made are still not fully understood.
It should be noted that, although holding a position of relevance transforms a person’s behavior, this does not always have to be negative or threatening. As Daniel Goleman points out in his book Leadership That Gets Results , there are up to six types of leadership and all, with the exception of the coercive or authoritarian leader, are positive; he refers to the following:
- Helmsman.
- Affiliative.
- Visionary.
- Democratic.
- Coaching leaders .
In essence, if it is evident that power changes people, that modification can be directed in a way that is enriching for the entire environment, in order to achieve common objectives.
Ways power changes people
What changes in a human being when he or she holds power? Is it his or her values, his or her goals, his or her needs, his or her emotions? Many components change in an individual when he or she assumes a relevant position.
These changes are motivated by their need to maintain that position, achieve goals , and mediate their social influence. In this order, let us now delve deeper into how power changes people.
They stop attending to emotional factors
There is a recurring idea about powerful people, which is that they lack empathy. This is not a premise that can be proven, but there is evidence of an associated dimension. Liaoning University in China found in a study that those who hold power stop responding to the emotional stimuli of others.
In other words, a powerful leader can sense and understand the emotions of others, but he does not act on them; he often ignores them. This allows him to make drastic decisions , even if they negatively affect other people.
Greater impulsivity
Ideally, every leader should demonstrate a good capacity for reflection, analysis, critical thinking and cognitive patience. Only in this way can the best decisions be made. However, powerful people sometimes end up displaying more impulsive behaviour, which leads to missteps or undesirable costs.
More interested or selfish perspectives
Power encapsulates individuals in more instrumental and selfish perspectives . As a result, changes occur in different ways, and the most common is to move towards interested behavior focused on self-interest, which frequently results in actions that are harmful or detrimental to many groups.
A common characteristic of those in power is that they stop reacting to the needs, emotions and behaviors of others.
Reformulation of values
This phenomenon is common. There are people who, before reaching a high position in an organizational environment, defended very specific values: friendship, respect, solidarity, gratitude, forgiveness. But when they reach power, many ethical principles and even the values themselves are transformed. They then open up to dimensions such as independence, courage, competitiveness and success, for example.
The “arrogance syndrome”
In some cases, power changes people in very negative ways. This behavioral and emotional alteration could culminate in the “hubris syndrome . ” This is a personality pattern defined by the following characteristics:
- Violent communication.
- Excessive self-confidence.
- Loss of harmony with the work team and in any figure.
- They stop seeing reality as it is. They live in a parallel world where only their personal needs and goals count.
What is the reason for this change? Are we all prone to such variation?
Neuroscience offers an explanation of why power changes people. In a paper published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, they point out that if social influence goes to our heads, it is due to a change that appears in our brain.
The authors of this study performed a series of magnetic resonance imaging tests on people who held power and also on those who did not have a high position. This is how they discovered a striking fact: those who hold a high position have a lower motor resonance. This neurological mechanism is activated when interacting with others.
Apparently, those who reach prominent levels of society stop reacting to the needs, emotions and behaviour of others. This may be a recurring characteristic that could be explained by the instrumental vision of achieving objectives at all costs, even overriding the emotional realities of the environment.
Does power change people equally? Beware of narcissists!
Would this happen to me? Would my best friend, whom I admire so much, change if he were to achieve a position of power? The answer is not simple, but we can clarify it. Power changes people, although not in all cases does this change shape negative or unethical behavior.
Men and women with strong human values, noble principles, solid empathy and emotional intelligence become good leaders. Social influence will make them change some aspects and they will become goal-oriented figures, but their essence will be the same.
Now, there are exceptions. In society there are individuals with narcissistic traits who, due to their personality, seem perfect for holding power . But it is a trap; giving them positions of relevance would not be convenient.
We are faced with presences that grow in these positions and that, in many cases, lead to highly damaging behaviors for the emotional and personal climate of any organization.
Narcissists have certain traits that make it easier for them to reach positions of relevance. Once they reach these positions, they develop to the maximum those characteristics that are innate to them, such as manipulation.
What can we do to prevent power from changing us (too much)?
Life has many twists and turns and you may at some point reach a position of great importance and influence. What can you do to prevent power from causing havoc? Take note of the following keys:
- Remember your origins and have frequent contact with your own roots.
- If power corrupts, look in the mirror every day and ask yourself what good deed you did today. Consider whether you are the person you want to be.
- The main flaw of a powerful person is their lack of emotional connection with others. Try to train yourself in emotional intelligence, so that this value does not wear out or get lost.
- To prevent power from turning you into someone different, it is important to have someone you trust nearby . It is helpful to have people who know you, demonstrate good values, a sense of ethics and assertiveness to guide you.
Finally, we all remember Christian Bale in his role as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho . That image is the most adverse extreme of what power does to people. It is up to you to create mechanisms that filter out the fit and proper personalities to lead from a small company to a country.