Power, Leadership, and Self-Regulation

Abstract

Power has been linked to both self-regulatory success and failure. Power typically aids self-regulation of task performance by making people motivated and goal-oriented. However, because people’s self-regulatory resources are limited, as powerful people exert effort on their focal tasks, they may fail to self-regulate in other domains. This type of goal myopia may lead to detriments in impulse control. Wielding power, by making decisions and leading subordinates, can deplete people’s self-regulatory resources, making subsequent acts of self-control more difficult.