Research has shown that a calculated loss of temper can be
useful at times as it shakes people out of complacency and provides an
adrenaline rush. Two other skills are closely related to hard power—organizational capacity and political skill.
- Organizational capacity refers to the ability to manage the structures and reward systems of the organization to shape and to implement a strategy. For example, aligning hiring, firing, and compensation with the organizational strategy is critical to achieving the strategy. Especially important is effectively managing the flow of information relating to both the inputs and outputs of decisions taken to achieve the strategy
- Political skill is crucial and complex. Politics can take a variety of forms. Intimidation, manipulation, and negotiation are related to hard power, but politics also includes inspiration, brokerage of new beneficial arrangements, and developing networks of trust typical of soft power. Politics can involve success in achieving goals not just for oneself and a narrow group of followers, but also building political capital for bargaining with wider circles of followers.
