Power and Love: A Theory and Practice of Social Change

Having lived and worked as a Catholic priest with grass-roots people and organizations in countries like Bolivia, Sudan and Chile I have faced raw power at work to block and destroy any movement that would shift or displace it. My question was always- how to engage those with real power-over in these processes in which they most often can intuit before other participants what is at stake, i.e. what they might have to give up. But on the other side dealing most of the time with church folks and religious or altruistic organizations I felt that they entered dialogue and change processes too naively and with too much stock in just willing a resolution through with loving intention. This often took place even within their own organizations where the element of who has the power is not addressed maturely and strategically.What many of us have learned over the years is that without a fierce sense of non-violent warrior love that recognizes the forces of power at play in any movement for social change, one is dangerously naïve and ineffective. Strong love means having persistence and clarity about what the goal is and what forces of power are engaged to either bring it about or prevent it from becoming reality. Adam Kahane speaking out of long years of engaging forces of social change offers a solid argument that for any process for change to be truly human and effective there must be equal attention to both love and power at play.Kahane's first book, Solving Tough Problems was almost cocky in laying out blueprints for bringing about such change. What is so refreshing in his new book is the striking humble honesty of his reflection on his experience since writing the first book and the sober and wise lessons he draws from that reflection. He gives testimony to the fact that such a process of honest reflection is an essential component for any of us working for transformative change in our institutions and society. Most valuable are his insights borne out of experience that we need to be keenly alert to the forces of power and love at work in any process for true change. His style is engaging and peppered with anecdotes of real-life examples that forge the wisdom of his conclusions. In a world of conflict and transition this is the work of a wise master and practitioner who points to a practice of fierce love and caring power in bringing about a world of harmony with each other and all creation.

Adam gives a compelling foray into the two energies needed to lead ourselves and others to a more generative future. Adam draws on his experiences at Shell, Generon and Reos, and his direct work with some of the world's leading change managers to help us discern the essence of power and love within us and around us. This book provides examples of the various forms of power: power to, power over, power within and power with. It also gives a compelling treatment of what it is to love without power. Power and Love speaks to our human evolution, although Adam doesn't necessarily use that term. It walks us through the degenerative side of modernist consciousness, where power to without love has led to power over and mass exploitation of people and destruction of the world's resources. We also explore the degenerative side of love without power, where despite its good intentions, post-modern consciousness has largely ineffectual at bringing about the morality, fairness, justice and equality we need. Power and Love speaks to an Integral approach to addressing the problems we have created using a previously one-sided approach of power OR love. If this book falls light anywhere, it is in not providing more explicit guidance on how to bring about the balance between the two energies of Power and Love. And perhaps that is the journey we each must discover for ourselves. I see power and love at the individual level, as the work we each must undertake as part of our evolution to return to a state of wholeness. And power and love at the collective level, as the work to include a widening circle of the earth and its people in our definition of oneness, and thereby take them into our consideration and  care.

If you are often in situations where you need to resolve competing issues (just about any first level manager and above position) then this is a book for you. Just look around at how other people resolve conflict. At a high level they tend to take one of two positions - Power - they define the solution and compel subordinates to carry out their firm resolution or Love - an attempt to satisfy every stakeholder with dilutive results. This book attempts to explain and illustrate how the optimum outcome is reached through use of both Power & Love. The author takes you through his development of understanding through a recount of facilitated sessions he orchestrated - where Power alone or Love alone lead to failure. He freely admits the failures and through analysis converges on the application of both Power and Love. However, this is not a blending of the two - both positions stand on their own. It is the application of both that is fascinating and most difficult to apply. There isn't a simple formula in this book but the thinking processes help you in considering how both can be used in your next facilitated solution.

This is a wonderfully insightful book that takes massive complexity and sees underlying patterns that open doors of perception and understanding. While I have seen this type of argument before in many places, Kahane lays it (and himself) bare with a kind of clarity that is rare. When one tumbles to his central argument, one begins to notice the fractal recursion of the dynamic he points to in manifold daily patterns of interaction and the ways in which people individually and collectively get "stuck". In many cases, it opens potential pathways to alleviate that suffering. The one criticism I would level at this book is that there is little strategy offered for effectively addressing those to cling to abusive power. That said, the diagnostic power applied to systems is profound and the pathways of intervention among the willing are useful.

Power and Love first stands out because it is so approachable. The writing is vulnerable and clear. How often do people share what went badly as well as what went well. I will not take my next set back as crushingly because I now have a more realistic sense of the negotiating world.It is also much more interesting to learn from what was tried and didn't work as well as the successes. There is a wealth of new ideas here and it engages you with a voice of exploration that starts you imagining yourself in the same situation and what you might try. In this way the wisdom is embedded and useful. How many times have we read a book that was interesting but didn't stay with you? This book is in my heart.I had one difference of opinion with Kahane around the separation of power and love. I think love is a power. There is power based on fear which is the ability to assert your will even against the will of others; and there is power rooted in love which is the ability to be all you can be and to want others to be all that they can be. I just read the book applying this concept and it was really powerful. I blogged it on archetypalleadership.me.I would highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to develop their negotiation skills.

Do you act from love or from your will to power? Kahane doesn't make love 'good' and power 'bad'. Rather, he believes that love can be 'generative' (coming from a place of goodness within oneself and generating positive results) or 'degenerative' (coming from a less ethical and compassionate place within oneself, with divisive results) - and that power can be used just the same way , generatively or degeneratively.It's a useful shorthand for when dealing with conflict. And Kahane jumps into the middle of seemingly intractable conflicts in various parts of the world - in the Middle East, for example. This is an honest account of his attempts at facilitating the impossible, and he confesses his failures openly.All in all, a useful book of a good and intelligent man struggling to find a way to understand and help, rather than an inspiring one, which is why I have withheld the fifth star.

A follow on work from Kahane's Solving tough problems, Power and Love provides very real examples of how to move beyond the paralysis of hand holding and affirmation which makes all feel better - but fails to get things done as well as the temptation to bulldozer through road blocks and resistance. Power and Love fills in a gap and speaks to how we can effectively, lovingly and justly engage diverse points of view for good. A book everyone sincerely concerned about justice should read.

Well worth reading by anybody who believes there is a better and easier way of leading in business. I have used this book as one of my influences leading the turn-around of companies. It helped me embrace one of the paradoxes of leadership that had held me back in the past. Power and Love shows how a leader can embrace the paradox effectively, to be a more successful leader. (Another book worth reading, showing leaders how to handle all types of paradox, is Otto Laske's, Dialectic Thinking for Integral Leaders primer.)

very original and constructive thinking.