Smith Brother's Success Essay

1. What bases of personal power contribute to the Smith brother’s success?

Personal power is defined as “The power one derives because of one’s individual qualities or characteristics.” (Greenburg, Page 419) And the Smith brothers seemed to have used all four types of personal power to attain great power and lead some of the biggest companies in the world.

a) Rational persuasion being one of the widely used approach in any organization, the Smith brothers may have used their deep interest in business with strong logic and an effective way to getting their ideas across to climb the stairs of success. The ability to influence others demands strength to the sphere of power.

b) Expert power may have played a key role in the Smith brother’s success. Both brothers possessed keen interest in business from an early age, giving them an advantage in superior knowledge, skill or abilities over others. As Sally Mahoney who knew Smith

Both brothers were known to be “bright, hardworking and unassuming.” Because of this, they were liked and admired by others.

d) Charisma. Even though Smith brothers has attained success, they showed little to no ego. They possessed enthusiasm and optimism that made them instantly likable by others.

2. Is their low-key, unassuming approach the best for obtaining- and keeping-power?

The Smith brothers had in interest business and were enjoyed playing Monopoly. Growing up in the business oriented family, they gained expertise in the field and were looked up by their colleague and subordinates. AS Dr. David E. Cole (Director of the University of Michigan’s Center for Automotive Research) puts it, “Jack will wander down the hall, his head down, trying to be obscure, where king would be looking around for recognition.” (Greenburg, Page 444) Even after attaining power and recognition, they did not show signs of ego normally perceived in self-centric and power hungry