Leaders, Power, and Perspective-Taking

Adam Galinksy, Joe Magee, Diana Rus, Naomi Rothman, and Andrew Todd have published a new paper titled “Acceleration With Steering: The Synergistic Benefits of Combining Power and Perspective-Taking.”   Leaders need a certain amount of power to get things done.  However, the research shows that leaders can be more effective if they have both power AND what they call perspective-taking.  In other words, can leaders put themselves in others' shoes so that they can see how those individuals view particular issues and situations?  

Of course, as many leaders accumulate power, sometimes it's difficult for them see the world as others do.  You "forget" what it was like when you were in their position.  You become isolated from the day-to-day work.   You interact most frequently with other senior executives, who often see the world much as you do.  Some leaders simply hire folks who think just like they do.