Can someone please help me formulate a good response to the two (Discussion Post #1 & 2:) following discussion posts with the discussion guidance below with at least two paragraphs of substantial information that carries the conversation forward. the posts were based off of the discussion guidance below.

Discussion Guidance:

• take the following self-assessment regarding your power and influence skills: http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/uzzi/ftp/page292.html
  • Based on this assessment, what do you think you want to get out of this class, and what areas are you most interested in improving or learning more about this session?
• take a look at some videos from Jeffrey Pfeffer of Stanford University. He is considered one of the leading experts in the world on power and influence. Find a video from Dr. Pfeffer on power or influence that you find useful and share the link with your classmates.
  • Do you think he practices what he preaches? In other words, does he exhibit expert power?

Discussion Post #1:

Hello class,

I gained some information from the Gaining Power and Influence quiz, but I also have a good awareness of my strengths and weaknesses in this area (Uzzi, B., n.d.). I discovered that my 132 overall score was about what I had anticipated. I anticipated finishing in the lower half since I view my capacity for influence as a weakness. Despite this flaw, I succeed thanks to my strong work ethic, reliability, and optimistic outlook. I want to use the knowledge I obtain from this course to influence my team. My career's final few years have seen me take on additional leadership roles. I think I can help my team and company perform better as I get stronger at leveraging influence. As I develop and learn, I look forward to the heights we can achieve.

The video Why Cultivating Power is the Secret to Success by Dr. Pfeffer was interesting to see. He discusses a few strategies for increasing influence and power in professional interactions in the video. He explains that it's crucial to identify who and where the influential individuals within the firm are so that you can strengthen your bonds with them. By making an intentional effort to find and interact with certain people, one can acquire this influence. I liked Dr. Pfeffer's advice to "be true to what the situation asks of you" rather than "be real, genuine, whatever, or true to yourself" (Pfeffer, J., 2015). At first glance, this sentence seems to imply that you must be unauthentic if you want to succeed. The statement, in my opinion, is referring to how one should respond to a specific circumstance in order to keep influence and authority.

References:

Pfeffer, J. (2015). Why cultivating power is the secret to Success. Retrieve: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AozJ4AkgAMw

Uzzi, B. (n.d.). Gaining Power and Influence Retrieved: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/uzzi/ftp/page292.html

Discussion Post #2:

Hi class,

I watched quite a few videos and the video I found that I think would be beneficial for the class would be Dr. Pfeffer's video on "Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't (2010)". This video talks about getting power and how individuals affect this themselves, preventing them from getting power. This video focuses on personal reflection and how a person thinks or acts affects if they get to a position of power or not.

I think this video would be beneficial for the class because we can be our biggest enemies in being successful or putting ourselves in the position to be successful. At the beginning of the video, Dr. Pfeffer talks about this point exactly. This video can help a person reflect on themselves honestly to see if they are doing everything, they need to do to get power.

I do believe Dr. Pfeffer practices what he preaches. He was written books and been interviewed so many times for the knowledge he possesses. A person without out power would not be brought in to speak to larger groups on numerous occasions or wouldn't be a topic of discussion for this course if he did not exhibit expert power. Dr. Pfeffer's knowledge and skills have been presented to college students and broadcast all over for the benefit of others. He operates from a position of power.

Reference:

Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2010, Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't, Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eFln_mdXGY&t=43s