Power - Christine Cho

I think I am a powerful situation in most situations. I believe I exert referent and expert power at work. I am a personable person and am able to get people to do things for me because they like me (or because they think I'm cute). Either way, I am able to use my power in order to get the job done. I also thing that I have expert power at work. I am able to travel to places that others never get the chance to visit because of my knowledge and expertise in Risk Management. I believe I empower people and encourage people to go outside of their comfort zone and do things they wouldn't have tried in the past. I am ready to exert these two powers, but there are other types of power I would like to cultivate.

I would really like to exert legitimate power. In order to meet this power goal, I will have to gain more experience in my job and respect in my position. I believe I'm on my way there and believe that as I can more experience as a leader I will be able to improve in this area. Another type of power I would really like to exert is charisma. Although I know that most charismatic leaders are naturally born with it, I believe that I can really work towards this type of power. My boss, Barry, is one of the most charismatic leaders that I have ever met. When he enters a room, the whole room lights up and he easily gains the attention of everyone in the room. He's able to convince people to support his programs effortlessly. Last week, I had to attend an all-day training on Good Manufacturing Practices. It was the most boring morning ever, until Barry came up to the stage and started talking. He energized the room and really got people to pay attention to what he had to say. I'm fortunate to be around someone who's so magnetizing and hope that one day I can be as good as he is. Fortunately, he's my boss and as part of my development we've been working on improving my skills in this area. Practice makes perfect. Appearing powerful when you present is something that gets better with practice. My boss has given me numerous opportunities to present to different groups, so that I become better at it. By the time I graduate, I hope to be a polished and powerful person.