Need for Power

In the last byte, we understood the need for achievement as a motivational factor for people better. In today's byte, we look at the need for Power as a driver of Motivation.

Need for Power as described earlier, is concerned with making and impact on others. It is the desire to influence others, the urge to change people or events and the desire to make a difference in life. This need is generally interpersonal in nature as it involves influencing others in the environment. People with high need for power could generally be like control people and events that happen around them.

McClelland makes 2 distinctions in power:

1. Socialized Power - which could be used for the benefit of others
2. Personalized Power - which can be used for individual gains

The Socialized Power is constructive in nature, and could yield a better bonding between people while Personalize power could be very disruptive and have destructive impact.

McClelland's research has indicated that managers who were rated "best" in the research had a very high need for socialized power, as opposed to personalized power. That is, they have an interest in organizational goals and have a concern for others; they also have a desire to be useful to the larger group, organization or society.

Managers with high socialized power needs and a good success track record are found to grow the quickest in their organization compared to their contemporaries.