Preface

I just finished another reading from my book stack. It is called The will of Power(German: "Der Wille zur Macht") by Friedrich Nietzsche. It was really an awesome book but quite complicated in my poor English knowledge. It is talking about European nihilism, highest values hitherto of his time such as critique of religion, critique of morality, and critique of philosophy. Then he is talking about his new perspective to the will of power as knowledge. Finally in the last part, he is talking about discipline and breeding.

Glossary

The meaning of these words are came from Merriam Webster.

Power

Full definition of power is available here; but I chose following meaning to have my own conclusion easier:

possession of control, authority, or influence over others

People

Full definition of people is available here; but I chose following meaning to have my own conclusion easier:

plural : human beings making up a group or assembly or linked by a common interest

People in power vs. Power in people

Simultaneousness Nietzsche's book, I was concentrating on change management books and my job. As we know IT job (specially those organizations that have legacy systems) is somehow are similar with change management; besides it has huge communications. I faced to some sort of communications which suddenly this idea came to my mind that people in power is really different from power in people.

As Nietzsche was saying power is knowledge, we can extend it to IT societies as well. It means some people will be in power if they have enough knowledge, so I stereotype this people as a: power in people, it means this people has knowledge which will bring power for them; but this power it is not align with the meaning of the power we mentioned in glossary, it is equivalent with knowledge; also this sort of people has following characteristics:

• usually are not looking for pyramid style of management,
• leading others to good
• have long-term horizon
• seeking for vision
• have personal charisma
• shape the culture
• want achievement
• make a use of conflicts
• gives credit
• takes blame
• and they break the rules.

On the other side, there are few folks which are in power but they do not have the power as meaning of knowledge, they are having the power in a formal authority way, so I stereotype them as a: people in power. In this case, power means exactly what we defined in the glossary. This sort of people has following characteristics:

• want hierarchy and subordinates
• focus on managing the work
• have short-term horizon
• seeking for objective
• have formal authority
• enact the culture
• want results
• avoid conflicts
• take credit
• blame others
• make rules

Usually these two stereotypes people they face to each other so much, usually the power in people group can tolerate the others and as it is their main characteristic, they will lead other and focus on making achievements; unfortunately the people in power usually they tag the others, they change their language, and they make fun of the others; besides, they use the politics and on the other hand, they never tolerate the others and always they are questioning everyone else as it is their characteristic.

It may be possible as well to have hybrid such as to be: power in people-people in power, which I believe it is the best style for IT environments.