Power=Work/Time

Three Truths

1. Whether you like it or not, power games and dynamics are happening all around you.

2. There is no substitute for work.

3. Time is our most valuable asset.

People say they want freedom. People say they want wealth. People say they want certain material possessions. Underneath it all, I believe what they really want is power.

Power often carries a negative connotation. The word has, unfortunately, been associated with power-hungry politicians and businessmen whose egos led to power trips and intoxication, giving a desire for power a bad reputation. The issue in these scenarios is not power—it’s ego. Ego is the enemy.

Power, to me, distilled down to its essence, is the ability to achieve a desired outcome.

There are many ways to define power depending on the context, but I believe a simple, yet effective definition can be borrowed from physics—one that holds weight in other areas as well:

Power = Work / Time

Imagine you’re pushing a heavy box across a room:

• Work: Every time you push the box, you're using energy to move it. The harder the push and the farther the box goes, the more work you’ve done.

• Time: If you move the box slowly, taking a long time, you're working at a slower rate. But if you move it quickly, you're working at a faster rate.

• Power: Think of power as your "speed of doing work." If you move the box across the room in just a few seconds, you’re showing a lot of power. If it takes you all day, you’re showing less power.

Moving into the Social Arena

People we consider powerful can do a lot of work in a short period of time.

They want a desired outcome, and they’re able to take action quickly to make it happen. They move from point A to point B faster.

Work comes in different forms. It’s not as simple as pushing a box. For most of us, work isn’t as clearly defined. Doing a lot of work in a short period of time requires leverage and access to resources.

Consider this comparison:

• Running is more powerful than walking.

• Biking is more powerful than running.

• A car is more powerful than a bike.

• A plane is more powerful than a car.

Leveraging these resources allows us to do more work (move greater distances) in a shorter period of time.

As Archimedes said:
"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world."

The Power of Leverage

Alone, we have limited power. Our bodies can only do so much work. But our minds can create leverage, allowing us to increase our work/time ratio. This is power—the creativity of our minds and our ability to leverage resources.

Those who have a greater ability to leverage resources to achieve a desired outcome in a short period of time have higher power.

For example:

• The President of the U.S./other world leaders, and CEOs of major corporations can pick up the phone and accomplish in five minutes what might take others years to complete.

• They can "push the box across the room" in minutes rather than a year.

They are powerful because they can use their positions, relationships, and resources to achieve outcomes quickly.

A Measure of Power

• How much work can you get done in one hour?

• How much progress can you make in one day?

• How much energy, change, or impact can you put into the world in one year?

The answers to these questions determine how much power you have.

Your power—or your ability to achieve a desired outcome in your life—is a result of the work, action, and energy you put into the world.

Remember:
The value you receive from the world is directly correlated to the value you give to the world.

G