It’s important to note how leaders journeying from hero to host use their positional
power. They have to work all levels of the hierarchy; most often, it’s easier to gain
support and respect from the people they lead than it is to gain it from their superiors.
Most senior leaders of large hierarchies believe in their inherent superiority, as proven
by the position they’ve attained. They don’t believe that everyday people are as
creative or self‐motivated as are they. When participation is suggested as the means to
gather insights and ideas from staff on a complex problem, senior leaders often will
block such activities. They justify their opposition by stating that people would use this
opportunity to take advantage of the organization; or that they would suggest ideas that
have no bearing to the organization’s mission; or that people would feel overly
confident and overstep their roles. In truth, many senior leaders view engaging the
whole system as a threat to their own power and control. They consistently choose for
control, and the resultant chaos, rather than invite people in to solve difficult and
complex problems.