Name: Good Power
Rating: 3.8 (50 reviews)
Author: Ginni Rometty

What’s in it for me? Discover how to use good power.

At some point in your life, you’ve probably been in a situation that you badly wanted to change. It may have been a family dilemma, a practice at work, or a societal issue. Whatever the case, you just know deep down you want to make it better.

But then you start wondering exactly how. After all, you’re not in a position of power, so that’s hardly going to be possible, now, is it? Well, think again.

Former IBM CEO Ginni Rometty believes that each one of us can create positive change for the benefit of ourselves and our communities. She calls it good power. In this short Blink, we’ll zoom into one of the principles of good power: being in service of others.

The primary use of good power lies in being in service of others

Good power is a force to be reckoned with. It pushes you to aim for personal growth and advancement until you transform into your best self. But while it does serve you well, its impact actually goes beyond individual benefits – it also makes a world of difference when used in the service of others.

To be in the service of others is to prioritize their needs ahead of your own and actively assist them to become better, too. That doesn’t mean merely delivering what you’re supposed to. That’s just “serving” and not “being in service of.” The latter involves a deeper commitment, where you exceed what’s required of you and go as far as stepping into the other person or people’s shoes.

Now the question is, how do you become in service of others?

First and foremost, you need to give the others value, primarily one that solves their problems or helps them improve themselves. But value doesn’t appear out of thin air. To come up with something valuable for the people you’re in service of, you need to research them first. You can’t address an issue you know nothing about, so read up.

Listen to the others, too. Just by keeping your ears open, you’ll understand so much more about their needs.

To deliver value, you need to develop clear communication skills, as well. After all, the best advice and insights are those that are simple and easily digestible. You don’t want people to spend hours grasping what you mean, because then you’re wasting their time, and that’s the exact opposite of giving value.

On top of delivering value, you can also be in service of others by teaching them. Be their mentor and show them how they can develop their skills. Share your knowledge, encourage them to keep learning, and give them the resources that support their personal growth. That way, they can readily take on challenges and realize their full potential.

That’s how you use good power to be in service of others.

The people you dedicate yourself to serving change over time

So now you know how to put your good power to good use to be in service of others. But who exactly are those “others”?

The answer to that changes as you grow older. At each stage of life, you’ll find yourself being in service of one group one minute then another group the next. That’s because the bigger the responsibilities you gain, the wider the impact of your good power becomes.