{"id":243,"date":"2025-11-15T21:00:32","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T21:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/borderstride.com\/?p=243"},"modified":"2025-11-17T14:18:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T14:18:41","slug":"power-over-vs-power-with-a-freedom-oriented-take-on-leadership-and-influence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/borderstride.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/15\/power-over-vs-power-with-a-freedom-oriented-take-on-leadership-and-influence\/","title":{"rendered":"Power Over vs. Power With: A Freedom-Oriented Take on Leadership and Influence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In a recent podcast episode of <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/jroF3PH-PTs?si=1cs1dVlc641zAmh1&amp;utm_source=borderstride.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Diary of a CEO<\/a>, Bren\u00e9 Brown discussed something that strikes at the heart of how we organise ourselves in free societies and companies alike \u2014 the difference between <em>power over<\/em> and <em>power with<\/em>. In her framing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cPower over is driven by fear. Daring and transformative leaders share power with, empower people to, and inspire people to develop power within.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>For those of us who lean into a libertarian or freedom-centric outlook, this distinction is especially pertinent. It helps us to see how authority, organisation, and voluntary association can align with respect for individual agency, rather than undermining it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do we mean by <em>Power Over<\/em> and <em>Power With<\/em>?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Power Over<\/strong>: This is the form of influence rooted in control, coercion, hierarchy, and fear. When you rule by decreeing, by forcing compliance, or by limiting choice, you\u2019re exercising power-over. Brown emphasises that the danger of power lies not in the concept of power itself, but in <em>how<\/em> it is used. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Power With<\/strong>: In contrast, this is collaborative, enabling, shared power. It arises when individuals or groups coordinate, support each other, share authority, and foster each other\u2019s capacity. Brown says this is the kind of power that builds teams, organisations and societies where people feel alive, capable and free. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The libertarian lens values this distinction because it aligns with the idea that social cooperation should be voluntary, decentralised, and based on consent \u2014 not coercion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why <em>Power Over<\/em> is inherently fragile<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>From a freedom-perspective, power over is unstable for several reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dependence on fear and compliance<\/strong><br>When people are held in line by force or threat, you simultaneously breed resentment, resistance and hidden failure. Brown points out that power-over \u201cis driven by fear.\u201d <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Concentration of authority invites corruption and failure<\/strong><br>When a few hold all the power, the system becomes brittle. Oversight collapses. Mistakes are hidden. The ability to adapt is weakened.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It undermines agency and innovation<\/strong><br>If individuals are always subject to command, they stop thinking, stop owning their work, stop experimenting. From a market or entrepreneurial standpoint, that is a recipe for stagnation.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, power over not only conflicts with the ideal of individual autonomy, but it also weakens the systems (businesses, economies, communities) that depend on free actors making choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why <em>Power With<\/em> aligns with free-market, free-society thinking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When we shift to \u201cpower with\u201d, we see dynamics that mirror healthy markets and voluntary institutions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Distributed decision-making<\/strong>: Just as in a functioning market many actors make many decisions rather than a central planner, power with encourages many individuals to share in decisions rather than one commander.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mutual benefit and voluntary participation<\/strong>: Power-with is not about forcing people; it is about enabling people to contribute, to choose, to exchange.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Resilience and adaptability<\/strong>: Just as free markets adapt faster because knowledge is dispersed and decisions made locally, organisations exercising power-with can respond more nimbly because actors are empowered.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ethical alignment<\/strong>: Libertarian thought emphasises that freedom means not simply being free from controls, but being free <em>for<\/em> something \u2014 for experimentation, for responsibility, for creative contribution. Power-with fosters that sense of purpose.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In short: power with is not only morally preferable in a freedom-oriented worldview, but it is <em>pragmatically<\/em> superior in environments where innovation, cooperation and human dignity matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Applying the concept in business and society<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s explore how this idea can be put into practice in organisations, markets and public life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Business &amp; entrepreneurship<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Replace top-down mandates (\u201cdo exactly this\u201d) with frameworks that articulate goals (\u201chere is what we need to achieve\u201d) and give teams latitude in the <em>how<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Empower employees to propose, decide and act. If you hire smart people, trust them. This mirrors the liberty ideal of individual agency.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use incentives not as sticks but as aligned interests: when individuals feel they own the outcomes and the process, they invest more deeply.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make governance transparent and accountable: power with requires that actors know the rules and share in shaping them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Markets &amp; regulation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Markets thrive when power is <strong>diffused<\/strong> rather than concentrated: monopolies, regulatory capture and privileged elites are manifestations of power-over.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A regulatory regime that asks \u201chow can we enable more actors to participate safely?\u201d rather than \u201chow do we control all actors?\u201d embodies power-with.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Free markets are not chaos: they flourish with predictable rules, property rights, contract enforcement \u2014 but those rules should <em>enable<\/em>, not <em>subsume<\/em>, voluntary exchange.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Civil society &amp; public institutions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Public institutions oriented around service rather than control better reflect the power-with mindset.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Civic organisations, communities of practice, networks of mutual support: these are voluntary and share power, they don\u2019t impose it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Even when governments exist (from a libertarian realism), their legitimacy depends on <em>limiting power over<\/em> (protecting rights) and <em>promoting power with<\/em> (enabling citizens).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A caution: power with is not laissez-faire anarchy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to clarify that power-with is <strong>not<\/strong> the same as \u201cno structure or rule.\u201d A free society still needs frameworks: laws, property rights, enforcement. The difference is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>purpose<\/strong> of the frameworks is to <strong>enable<\/strong> freedom and cooperation, not to <strong>control<\/strong> or centralise it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>governance approach<\/strong> favours subsidiarity, decentralisation, minimal coercion and maximum individual choice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leaders view their role as <em>stewards or facilitators<\/em>, not overlords.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Brown writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWhat makes power dangerous is how it\u2019s used.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>For libertarian thought, that means we never treat power as neutral \u2014 every structure that grants power requires scrutiny, transparency and the possibility to share or withdraw it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Concluding reflections<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>From the freedom-oriented perspective, the distinction between power over and power with is deeply meaningful. It\u2019s not just about leadership style; it\u2019s about the underlying philosophy of how we organise ourselves\u2014whether in companies, societies or economic systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When power is <em>used over<\/em> others, we create dependency, fragility and oppression. When power is <em>shared with<\/em> others, we create agency, resilience and dignity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the words of Brown, courageous leaders don\u2019t protect their power\u2014they distribute it. That insight aligns with the libertarian belief that liberty is not only a moral value but an organising principle. Empowered individuals cooperating by choice\u2014rather than coerced individuals obeying orders\u2014are the cornerstone of healthy, dynamic, free human systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In your organisation, your market, your community: ask yourself \u2014 <em>Am I wielding power over or am I cultivating power with?<\/em> Because the future of freedom, innovation and cooperation may depend on how you answer that question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bren\u00e9 Brown \u2014 <em>Power and Leadership<\/em> (her website) : <a href=\"https:\/\/brenebrown.com\/resources\/brene-brown-on-power-and-leadership\/?utm_source=borderstride.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/brenebrown.com\/resources\/brene-brown-on-power-and-leadership\/?utm_source=borderstride.com<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bren\u00e9 Brown \u2014 <em>Values and Power (PDF)<\/em>: <a href=\"https:\/\/brenebrown.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Values-and-Power_WebsiteDownload.pdf?utm_source=borderstride.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/brenebrown.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Values-and-Power_WebsiteDownload.pdf?utm_source=borderstride.com<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cPower Over vs. Power Within\u201d (Guiding Leaders &amp; Teams blog) : <a href=\"https:\/\/guidingleadersandteams.com\/power-over-vs-power-within\/?utm_source=borderstride.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/guidingleadersandteams.com\/power-over-vs-power-within\/?utm_source=borderstride.com<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cExploring the 4 Types of Power in Leadership\u201d (Stop At Nothing blog) : <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stopatnothing.com\/4-types-of-power\/?utm_source=borderstride.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.stopatnothing.com\/4-types-of-power\/?utm_source=borderstride.com<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Diary of a CEO with Bren\u00e9 Brown \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/jroF3PH-PTs?si=1cs1dVlc641zAmh1&amp;utm_source=borderstride.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/jroF3PH-PTs?si=1cs1dVlc641zAmh1<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a recent podcast episode of Diary of a CEO, Bren\u00e9 Brown discussed something that strikes at the heart of how we organise ourselves in free societies and companies alike \u2014 the difference between power over and power with. In her framing: \u201cPower over is driven by fear. Daring and transformative leaders share power with, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":244,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[36,39,34,41,40,42,38,37,35],"class_list":["post-243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-collaborative-influence","tag-decentralized-leadership","tag-empowered-leadership","tag-ethical-influence","tag-freedom-centered-leadership","tag-human-centered-power","tag-leadership-philosophy","tag-shared-power","tag-voluntary-cooperation"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/borderstride.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/borderstride.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/borderstride.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/borderstride.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/borderstride.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/borderstride.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":247,"href":"https:\/\/borderstride.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243\/revisions\/247"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/borderstride.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/borderstride.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/borderstride.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/borderstride.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}