episode 16 - the word is mace

For this Episode 16 of ‘The Word is Leadership’, we keep our format but change our dictionary! However, the hope that this would lead to selecting new words was short lived as our random word is mace.

Contrasting the spiked club and the ceremonial staff of office, we explore the various forms of assertive power in leadership. By distinguishing between power that makes others feel smaller (spiky club) and power that uplifts and supports (staff of office), we look at the significance of understanding power as the ability to impact and influence and highlight the transformative potential of the socialised form of assertive power.

In this episode I encourage leaders to contemplate whether their leadership style wields a spiky club or carries a ceremonial mace, in order to create the gravitational tug we discussed in previous episodes.