Reflections on Success through Soft Power vs. Hard Power

And the thoughts flood my head again...... am I the only one that contemplates on the future of my success to this degree.... should I just let things be and worry about being happy in the moment and give up my old ways?

I read an article in the HBR discussing the positive and negative impacts of soft power and hard power on success. Power has been sought through centuries encapsulating the history of villages, regions, countries and continents, bringing us to the world delineated as we see today.

In this modern era, we reflect on power being the ability to influence a group people to pursue an effort that is in our interest. Whether it is to getting a team to work on the next merger and acquisition deal in our flailing unstable economy or getting a group of children to help finish chores before dinner is served, seeking power is built into our genes of curiosity.

HBR defines soft power as the set of tools influencing people behind the scenes, contrary to hard power which is through coercion. Soft power would be utilizing one's charisma, vision, and communication assets to affect a group of people whereas hard power employs payment, enforcement and intimidation. Take for example the use of a celebrity's image to stimulate voting amongst generation X and Y; in comparison with thievery, where a robber points a gun at one's face requesting money.

Leaders possessing both control over soft and hard power have become the most successful in this competitive and fierce global economy. Experience and analysis leads to understanding of how soft and hard power can be combined in context to provide a desired outcome. Teddy Roosevelt is prime example of this mastery in his crucial negotiation of the Portsmouth Treaty of 1905, ending the Sino-Russian war.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where do I fall in this mess. Am I a novice to both awaiting guidance to show me how to utilize these tools that suddenly appear in my red toolbox? Or has it already been decided by my personality that I am solely a soft power individual that has no ability for confrontation much like the Dalai Lama.

These past few days I have been trying to figure out what are the things generate the smiles and the laughs in life and what are the things that cause me to squint and turn my head in dismay. I need to figure things out in my head before I can focus on working ahead to being successful.