From Power Hoarding to Power Sharing: A Leadership Pivot We Can't Afford to Miss
- Brittany Clausen
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
Written by Brittany Clausen, MSW, LGSW
Source: The Advocacy Project (2022).
There’s a quiet leadership crisis happening in too many organizations—and it often goes unnoticed because it’s disguised as decisiveness, efficiency, or “strong leadership.” But underneath it is fear, control, and a deep mistrust of others. It’s called power hoarding.
And it’s time to pivot.
What Is Power Hoarding?
Power hoarding occurs when leaders hold tightly to decision-making authority, information, or influence, often out of fear that sharing power might dilute their control, credibility, or status. It can look like:
Making decisions in silos
Gatekeeping relationships or opportunities
Withholding information from team members
Believing “if I don’t do it, it won’t be done right”
While often unintentional, these behaviors create environments where trust erodes, innovation stalls, and psychological safety disappears.
Why Do Leaders Hoard Power?
Psychologically, power hoarding is often driven by ego-protection and fear-based leadership. According to Keltner, Gruenfeld, and Anderson (2003), individuals in positions of power can develop a decreased sensitivity to others’ perspectives and a heightened need to protect their dominance.
Additionally, systemic structures—especially those shaped by colonial, patriarchal, and white supremacist norms—have long reinforced the idea that power is a scarce resource, meant to be controlled, not shared (Okun, 2021). This cultural conditioning fosters zero-sum thinking: if someone else has power, I must have less.
The Case for Power Sharing
Power sharing, by contrast, is the conscious redistribution of decision-making, voice, and resources. It’s rooted in trust, humility, and equity. When leaders shift from “command and control” to “collaborate and empower,” something transformative happens:
Engagement goes up. People feel seen, heard, and valued.
Innovation increases. Diverse voices bring new solutions.
Equity becomes actionable. It's not just policy—it’s practiced.
Research backs this up. Studies show that organizations with shared leadership and distributed decision-making are more resilient, adaptive, and inclusive (Pearce & Conger, 2003; Hoch et al., 2010).
Shifting the Habit: Practical Steps
If you’ve been socialized to lead from a place of control, pivoting won’t happen overnight. But it starts with awareness. Here are three intentional shifts to move from power hoarding to power sharing:
1. Audit Your Influence
Ask: Who has the power to make decisions in your organization? Who is left out of key conversations? Transparency about decision-making is the first step toward equity.
2. Practice Inclusive Delegation
Delegate not just tasks—but real authority. Give team members the power to make decisions, lead meetings, or represent your organization externally.
3. Create Feedback Loops
Build systems that invite and act on feedback from across your organization—especially from those furthest from traditional power centers.
Final Thoughts
The pivot from power hoarding to power sharing isn’t just a leadership skill—it’s a cultural imperative. In a world where trust is currency and collaboration drives innovation, hoarding power is a liability, not a strength.
At Envision Greatness, we believe the future belongs to leaders who know how to share power, not just hold it.
References
Hoch, J. E., Pearce, C. L., & Welzel, L. (2010). Is the most effective team leadership shared? Journal of Personnel Psychology, 9(4), 195–202. https://doi.org/10.1027/1866-5888/a000020
Keltner, D., Gruenfeld, D. H., & Anderson, C. (2003). Power, approach, and inhibition. Psychological Review, 110(2), 265–284. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.110.2.265
Okun, T. (2021). White supremacy culture (updated edition). DismantlingRacism.org. https://www.whitesupremacyculture.info/
Pearce, C. L., & Conger, J. A. (Eds.). (2003). Shared leadership: Reframing the hows and whys of leadership. SAGE Publications.
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