Like a martial artist who can't rely on brute strength forever, a leader must balance positional power with soft skills like empathy and trust. This intentional shift—Managing Without Power—is the only way to build a truly high-performing team that is intrinsically motivated.
From the Dojo to the Boardroom
My first judo tournament kicked off a twenty-year martial arts journey expanding into Aikido, Kick-Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts.
This background taught me to see parallels between martial arts, professional life and leadership. One insight, which I discovered while teaching judo to kids, became the reason I titled my work "Managing Without Power."
When Strength Becomes a Weakness
Some kids are naturally stronger than others. They learn early on that they can overpower opponents and win most matches with brute force. But as they move up in the ranks, this strategy eventually fails. At higher levels, all fighters are physically strong. The ones who keep winning learned early NOT to rely on their strength when it’s less effective. Instead, they developed skills like reading an opponent’s movements, surprising them, and creating a strategic game plan.
The Power in Leadership
The same is true for leadership. Yes, to lead at the highest levels, you need to be able to exert power. This includes:
🚀 Making tough decisions
🚀 Demonstrating strength and resilience under pressure
🚀 Developing a thick skin
🚀 Working hard
🚀 Being willing to push people at times
🚀 Firing people when necessary
So, there's nothing wrong with having power as a leader, just as a competitive fighter needs to be physically strong.
The Skills Power Can't Teach
The problem is that it's too easy to lean on that power, even when it's not the right move. Your team will politely accept it if you talk more and listen less, even if your ideas are suboptimal. They'll go along with a mediocre strategy, even when they know they could do better. Meanwhile you become a less versatile leader.
You'll fail to develop skills where power can get in the way, such as:
❤️ Listening attentively
❤️ Building trusted relationships
❤️ Acting with empathy
❤️ Extending trust and autonomy
❤️ Creating space for people to disagree with you
❤️ Showing gratitude and appreciation for your team
❤️ Sharing your doubts and fears
❤️ Admiring your team members and learning from them
The Path to a High-Performing Team
Without these skills, people follow you because of your position. When you balance your power with the skills above, they follow you out of intrinsic motivation, because of who you are and what you represent.
You'll know you've succeeded when your team:
✅ Attracts and retains the best talent
✅ Is proactive and collaborative
✅ Sets a high bar for themselves, instead of you having to remind them
✅ Challenges you and defines strategy with you, rather than just complaining
✅ Owns work and plows through barriers without dropping the ball
✅ Gives you honest feedback to help you grow into the best leader you can be
Using power can feel like the faster route, especially when you're busy and under pressure. But once you've experienced what it's like to run a truly high-performing team, you'll never regret the investment you made!
Do you want to create leaders who build high-performing teams? Plan an introduction meeting with me here.
