I don't think I understood power ("Macht" in German) until I became a leader.
We rarely say the word out loud. It sounds almost negative. But once you have a leadership position, you have power, whether you call it that or not.
I felt it most clearly during hiring. Two candidates were equally strong. Similar technical level, similar team fit. And still, only one got the offer. The final decision was mine.
One person's career moved forward because of my judgment. The other person's didn't. That was uncomfortable to realize.
And it happens again and again inside a team. I can decide who gets which project, who gets more visibility, who gets the opportunity to learn something new. Those decisions can influence someone's next career step far beyond the task itself.
So I keep reminding myself: this power isn't mine. It came with the position.
The day I leave the chair, it stays in the chair.
Until then, I can use it to make my own position stronger, or to create opportunities for other people. I choose the second.
How do you regard power? Do you talk about it and do reflection at work?
This is part of my "100 Days of Year One" series. Follow along as I share what I've learned in my first year as Head of Data and Cloud.