There is a perception among many that compassion is not a strategy of strength and that compassionate leaders are too soft or weak. There is a fear, even, of being too compassionate. Good intentions alone are not enough. A deeper understanding of compassion means that one who acts with true compassion never needs to fear being too compassionate.
The same attributes that lead to gaining power are attributes that are undermined once one has achieved a position of power. Dacher Keltner, in The Power Paradox, shows us the origins of power, how it is part of all our everyday transactions and can consistently be a positive thing, how power can be abused and lost, and the costs of subjecting others to conditions that create powerlessness.
