In this episode of Brent’s Notepad, we explore Chapter 6 of Exploring Leadership (2nd edition), written by Richard Bolden, Jonathan Gosling, and Beverley Hawkins, examining the complex relationship between leadership, power, and politics. The authors outline French and Raven’s five sources of power and Weber’s three types of authority, showing how legitimacy transforms power into influence. They discuss both “big P” politics in governments and organizations and “small p” politics in everyday workplace dynamics, as well as how organizational culture can empower or marginalize. The chapter also highlights toxic leadership, where charisma and manipulation maintain control at the expense of ethics and inclusion. Ultimately, it reminds us that leadership is inseparable from power and politics, requiring reflection and intentionality to guide and inspire responsibly.
Exploring Leadership:
Bolden, R., Gosling, J., & Hawkins, B. (2023). Exploring leadership: Individual, organizational and societal perspectives (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Sources of Power:
French, J., Jnr and Raven, B. H. (1959) 'The Bases of Social Power', in D Cartwright (ed.) Studies of Social Power, pp. 150-67. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research.
Authority:
Weber, M. (1921/1978) Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Panopticon:
Foucault, M. (1979) Discipline and Punish: the Birth of the Prison (trans Alan Sheridan). New York: Vintage Books.
Foucault, M. (1980) Power/Knowledge: Selected interviews and other writings, 1972 - 1977. London: Harvester Press Ltd.
Frames of Reference:
Fox, A. (1966) Industrial Sociology and Industrial Relations. Research Papers 3, Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers' Associations. London: HMSO.
Fox, A. (1974) Beyond Contract: Work, Power, and Trust Relations. London: Faber and Faber.
Organizational Culture:
Schein, E. H. (1992) Organizational Culture and Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com