Acting with Power Buchzusammenfassung - das Wichtigste aus Acting with Power

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Zusammenfassung von Acting with Power

Name: Acting with Power
Rating: 4.1 (140 reviews)
Author: Deborah Gruenfeld

Deborah Gruenfeld

Why We Are More Powerful Than We Believe

4.1 (140 Bewertungen)

23 Min.

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Acting with Power
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What’s in it for me? Understand power and use it confidently in any role.

Power is often viewed as mysterious and reserved for people who are either specially gifted or ruthlessly determined. But power exists in all relationships.

Because we depend on each other in different ways, we all have some degree of control over other people’s circumstances. And while we can be self-serving in how we use our power, everyone is better off when our aim is to help others or to achieve a common goal.

From stepping into an unfamiliar role and changing things from the top-down, to choosing between taking up space or being unassuming, these blinks provide guidelines on how to embody a powerful role, just like a seasoned actor taking the stage.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

why it can be valuable to downplay your power;
how to secure a seat on a rocket ship; and
what power means when you’re at the very top.

Power is the role we play in other people’s lives, and we all have it in one way or another.

High status, impressive wealth, and the authority of a title. This is what we tend to think of when we hear the word “power.” We believe that the people who have these things are automatically powerful, but this isn’t quite true.

People with status, money, or the right title can be powerful, but so can those with none of these things. For example, someone about to drive out of a full parking lot isn’t powerful on their own. But the minute someone else pulls up, eagerly waiting to take the parking spot, the first driver suddenly has power. If he wants to, he can delay the newcomer by being in no rush to leave.

What this scene shows us is that power isn’t about what we have. It’s got more to do with social relationships, and how much we can control other people and their circumstances at any given time.

The key message here is: Power is the role we play in other people’s lives, and we all have it in one way or another.

Whether relationships are professional, personal, or just with whoever happens to be nearby, they force us to depend on each other. This means that everyone has power, even if it looks or feels like they don’t.

Take a parent-child relationship, for example. A parent can make decisions for the child and tell her what to do, making the parent powerful. But if the parent wants love and respect from their child – which most parents do – then the ability to give or withhold these means that the child has some power, too.

Work settings provide another example. Bosses have power because they can determine who works on which projects and how much people get paid. But an employee who’s great at her job and highly sought after in the industry has the power to negotiate.

Now, a boss can decide to use his power solely for his own benefit. For instance, he could hand over a heavy workload to a subordinate who can’t say no. But this isn’t what power is for.

Socially and in the workplace, hierarchies and power dynamics help people work together for mutual benefit and to solve shared problems. This means that when thinking about how to use the power we have, we shouldn’t be asking “What’s in it for me?” We should consider how we can help other people instead.

Playing power up is best used to protect the interests of others.

Imagine you’re taking an improv acting class and you’re asked to play a powerful character. How would you do it?

Most people would try to take control by raising their voices, interrupting other characters, and swaggering around the stage. This assertive behavior is called playing power up and actors use it often. It’s their way of getting people on and off the stage to respect their character.

Playing power down is a way to connect to people and earn their trust.

Let’s go back to that improv acting class from the previous blink. Once again, the acting coach wants to see a powerful character on stage. Except this time the character shouldn’t dominate the scene.

Strange, right? Well, not to an experienced actor.

Using imagination, props, and costumes is an effective way to embody a new role.

Picture this: after years of paying your dues, you’ve finally been promoted to senior manager. Suddenly, you have to guide a team and the higher-ups expect you to challenge them if necessary. But even though you’ve been working hard for this promotion, you’re not sure you’re ready for it. After all, you don’t feel anything like a senior manager.

This situation is a lot like what happens when an actor is cast in a new role. They’re given scripts and storylines to learn, and have to fully embody the role, however unfamiliar it feels. Luckily, actors have a few tricks to help them get into character, and these can work for you, too.

To play a supporting role well, prioritize the work and the team’s mission.

What comes to mind when you imagine a career as an actor? If it’s top billing in every production, you’re not alone. Most people want to be the star of the show – the important one with more power than anyone else.

But we can’t all play the lead, just like we can’t all be the boss at work. Instead, we have separate roles: for leading actors and supporting cast, and for managers and subordinates.

When taking on a bigger, more powerful role, treat anxiety by rehearsing, warming up, and not focusing on yourself.

Many people dream of occupying powerful roles, whether in social groups, family set-ups, or at work. But stepping into those roles can be terrifying.

People often question their own abilities and worry about being judged, which prevents them from using their power well. They might, for example, avoid making tough choices for fear of being held accountable. Or they might prioritize being liked and end up making the wrong decisions.

We have the power to avoid becoming the victims of bullies, and to reclaim our stories if bullies get to us.

These days, we hear of people abusing power much too often. Headlines exposing corrupt leaders and revealing major scandals all suggest that power brings out the worst in people.

But power itself isn’t the problem. In most cases, those who abuse power have certain insecurities, and so they use whatever power they get to make themselves feel better.

Using power well as a leader means guiding and looking out for others, and elevating people who will do the same.

“With great power comes great responsibility.” This quote has been attributed to the philosopher Voltaire, the British politician Winston Churchill, and even to Spiderman’s uncle! But although the source is uncertain, the message remains clear.

The people at the very top of an organization or group have tremendous power, and how they use it impacts everyone. Being responsible with this power means using it for the benefit of those around them. This involves setting the direction, creating a safe space, and filling key roles.

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Worum geht es in Acting with Power?

Acting with Power (2020) takes the mystery out of power by breaking down what it actually is and how to use it effectively wherever we find ourselves. Borrowing techniques from the field of acting, these blinks also detail how to cope when we feel nervous or unprepared for powerful roles, or when we desire more power than we’ve been given.

Bestes Zitat aus Acting with Power

The things we wear and carry on our bodies reinforce shared realities about who we are to ourselves and to others.

—Deborah Gruenfeld

Wer Acting with Power lesen sollte

Anyone who wants to wield power more effectively
People who are curious about power dynamics
Students of social psychology

Über den Autor

Deborah Gruenfeld is a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she co-directs the Executive Program for Women Leaders. For over 25 years, her research, writing, and teaching have been focused on the psychology of power, and she’s been featured in academic journals and publications including the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. She’s also the co-author of Stress in the American Workplace.

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