The Power Gridlock
THE POWER GRIDLOCK
LORD ACTON’S SALUTARY warning about the dangers of power has become an evergreen cliche.
One that is constantly referenced, from dinner conversations to research papers. But if the words of our forebears can evoke a universal acknowledgement of the aforementioned hypothesis among lay philosophers and academics alike, then perhaps the nobleman may have been on to something.
Power is the capacity to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events. Traditionally, we associate it with military might, sovereignty through birthright or immense wealth. Today, power dynamics have become demonstrably more subtle but no less potent; cultural imperialism, corporate capitalism and the undeniable might of social media and its obsession with cats.
While the intricacies of powerplay may change, the name of the game remains the same. When power is abused, it often manifests itself tangibly in the form of financial crime or sexual abuse. There is no shortage of high-profile cases, with the likes of Jho Low, Carlos Ghosn, and close to home, Honestbee ex-CEO, Joel Sng, all firmly in the public eye for alleged financial misdemeanours. Meanwhile, the #MeToo movement exposed Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby for the sexual predators that they were.
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority; still more when you superadd the tendency of the certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it.” – John Dalberg-Acton in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, 1887
Why Power Corrupts
The notion that power is a corruptive influence has been confirmed to death by academia for centuries. Studies have since grown more sophisticated and now address the more nuanced aspects of power.
While power certainly changes people, there is also reason to believe that it betrays one’s inherent tendencies. If you have the propensity for good, then with power, you will likely change lives for the better. If you seek power to line your own pockets, then you are more likely to wind up seeking refuge in a tinpot country with distorted moral values and a dodgy human rights record.
Experts have also noted that the many desirable traits that business leaders should have are often associated with psychopathic tendencies, such as a strong appetite for risk and the ability to make decisions devoid of emotion. Studies have shown that up to 20 per cent of the upper echelons of the corporate jungle have traits in common with people who are considered ‘psychopathic’, which is uncannily close to the statistics coming out of prison systems around the world.
It is perhaps a testament to the complexity of the human psyche and the uniqueness of the individual that to date, experts cannot give us a definitive answer as to how the endowment of power affects our actions as there are other factors, such as genetics, hormones and even sociological aspects, to consider as well.
When speaking to Business
Insider, neuroscientist Dr Tara
Swart recalled having worked with CEOs who displayed psychopathic tendencies and noticed that many of them had experienced institutionalised humiliation and violence at a young age, suggesting that the effects of external influences cannot be ignored. Whereas internally, it seems we also have to consider the implications of body chemistry. John Antonakis, who specialises in organisational behaviour and leadership, conducted studies on whether power corrupts and observed that leaders with high levels of testosterone had a greater predisposition to corruption.
Much of the discussion so far has been centred on the negative effects of power on the individual, but there are positives too. A recent study by Aleksandra Cislak and Aleksandra Cichocka, conducted in Poland and the US, focused on two internal processes for individuals in positions of power. They observed that control over others leads to antisocial tendencies, while attaining power that leads to autonomy or control over one’s own life has an ennobling effect and the outcome is the result of the two opposing processes working in tandem.
The Modern Face of Power and Influence
This could, perhaps, give us an inkling of why high-performing leaders such as Elon Musk tend to behave somewhat erratically. There are not many CEOs who are as quick to involve themselves in pressing humanitarian causes, and yet he publicly smokes weed during a podcast, gets embroiled in inane Twitter spats and sends out inexplicable tweets that have a deleterious effect on his company’s stock market valuation.
His high-profile missteps are, arguably, part of the ‘package’ that enables him to stand apart from his peers – an apparent authenticity that is cemented by his strong social media presence and openness towards public interaction. Social currency is the most current form of intrinsic wealth, it seems, and this is borne out by his masterful plugging of The Boring Company – which is essentially a tunnel boring enterprise, mind you – via his social channels and making it a household name in technology circles. That, and the flamethrowers.
While Musk devotes his attention to crises and futurist issues, philanthropy is typically the means by which most of his wealthy peers address the current ails of poverty and such. Cynics see these contributions as no more than tax-incentivisation exercises, but the truth is, the underprivileged would likely not receive help from any other means. Whether Big Philanthropy is the optimal way in which to address the world’s problems is another debate altogether, but its role is invaluable today and its influence immeasurable.
And none are more influential than the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It is the largest philanthropic venture in the world, with US$47 billion in assets, and funds a multitude of
causes – most notably drug and vaccine development to fight diseases, and investment in the health and education of youth in the poorest parts of Africa. The foundation is also one of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) biggest donors, which raises concerns about Bill Gates’s influence over WHO and its priorities. His influence also extended to recently retired technology entrepreneur Jack Ma, who started his own philanthropic trusts. Having stepped down from his leadership role at Alibaba, the likeable Ma stepped up his charm offensive and his Twitter game and became the new face of Chinese soft power diplomacy, having stormed back into the public eye with his efforts in assisting Africa and the US with the COVID-19 crisis.
Have a Cause, Will Travel
Thankfully, being a CEO is not a prerequisite when it comes to being an influencer who can make a global impact. Teenage activist Greta Thunberg is proof that you do not need millions in your offshore account to have a say in world affairs. That said, she is unique in that her cause points to grave consequences if not heeded, while her ‘superpower’ – the way in which she refers to her Asperger’s – helps her speak plainly. Much like Musk, there is power in her authenticity. A clear and consistent factual message is a potent weapon against political doublespeak, and public reaction and results speak for themselves. Saleemul Huq, director of the International Centre for Climate Change & Development, told NBC
News that Thunberg has managed to get people to listen, which was something he was unable to do despite 20 years of trying.
Huq has no reason to fret anymore. Thunberg’s empowering display of defiance showed her peers that young people too have the power to engage in the global conversation and make a difference. Last month, Thunberg, along with 15 youths, launched a formal complaint to the United Nations, claiming that Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany and Turkey had breached their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, alleging that they put the health and well-being of children at risk by doing nothing, despite having knowledge of the negative impact of carbon emissions.
The Greta Thunberg effect is not all talk – 2019 was marked by an increase in carbon offset investments. Gold Standard, an organisation set up by the World Wide Fund for Nature and other non-governmental organisations, reported a fourfold increase in payments from individuals and small businesses for carbon offsets.
If this is what power for good looks like today, we should admire the energy and support the cause. As individuals, we may feel that we have little power, but that’s no reason to emulate global leaders who seem to be abusing it. Power may well corrupt.
Is it our responsibility to have a say? Absolutely.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) biggest donors, which raises concerns about Bill’s influence over WHO and its priorities.