Kinds of Power: A Guide to its Intelligent Uses

James Hillman's Kinds of Power: A Guide to Its Intelligent Uses was first published in 1995. I read it some years ago, probably closer to the time of publication, but I re-read it just in the last couple of days. I was prompted to do so after looking at some books on leadership recommend. In addition to popular books that I pulled from a couple of lists, I added Kinds of Power to Garry Wills's Certain Trumpets: The Nature of Leadership and Leadership and Self-Deception. None of these three books were on the couple of lists that I reviewed, but each is a significant omission, which is not to diss the books that did make the popular lists, such as Delores Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals and Daniel Goleman's work on emotional intelligence in leadership.Hillman's book has a chapter of "leadership", but it places the issue within the context of power. Hillman was (d. 2011) a prominent voice in the tradition of Jungian psychology, and to my mind, a brilliant and engaging writer. His references range from Greek and Roman myths and etymologies to Michael Jackson & Bill Clinton. Easy to read but deeply thought. In his knowledge of ancient Greek and Roman culture, Hillman matches Wills in this mastery of these cultures, and the ability to apply those insights to the contemporary world.Hillman's work are always thought-provoking, and readers, I'm confident readers will find recognizable examples in his many discussions. By the way, Kinds of Power was published by Doubleday/Currency, which is (or was--who can keep up with changes in publishers?) a business imprint that published some unique and worthwhile books. And while Hillman's erudition is staggering, he wrote this as for a business audience, making it accessible to a most readers .Some samplers: As in a garden or a marriage, deepening brings ugly twisted things out of the soil. It’s a work in the dirt.Hillman, James, Kinds of Power (Kindle Locations 596-597) We become artists only when we enjoy the practicing as much as the performing. Until then we are caught by the limelight rather than the art. . . . Over and over again, not to get it finally right, not for the sake of perfection, but simply doing it as if for its own sake, freed from having to do it. The work working by itself, mechanically, repetitiously, impersonally. Could this idea of disinterested repetitiveness— one of the highest aims of Zen, mystical contemplation and religious practice, as well as the practice of the arts and sports— transfer to administration, sales, production, accounting?Hillman, James, Kinds of Power (Kindle Locations 675-681) Even more curious: why are the conflicts about power so ruthless— less so in business and politics [and I'd add sports--sng], where they are an everyday matter, than in the idealist professions of clergy, medicine, the arts, teaching and nursing. Those embattled in academic struggles and in museum and hospital fights deceive, backbite, threaten and maneuver shamelessly. They will not speak with friends of their enemies. Cabals form. Hatchet men appointed. Revenge plotted. Yet in business and politics [and I'd add the practice of law--sng] competitors for much larger stakes still go off to the golf course, eat and drink together. In business and politics, it seems, there is less idealism and more sense of shadow. Power is not repressed but lived with as a daily companion; moreover, it is not declared to be the enemy of love.Hillman, James, Kinds of Power (Kindle Locations 1181-1187)This last quote really struck home, not just because of its reference to academics and and its contrast to politics, law, and sports (in my opinion), but it reminds me that one of the nastiest employment situations I dealt with as a lawyer involved a humane society! It became apparent to me that all of the kindness was used up on the animals and none left for the members & workers. It was weird in a way. In this situation and others like it (education providing many other examples for me), the magnitude of the stakes were inversely proportional to the intensity of the emotions. The common denominator was that these were not powerful people (or at least they did not perceive themselves as powerful).What I've written done justice to Hillman's greater project of "psychologyzing" how we view ourselves and our world. To him, we humans and our world have a soul, this is, a way of experiencing the world that is symbolic, feeling, changing, and elusive. We must look at a phenomenon like power through this lens to appreciate its many manifestations and changing character. And this is what Hillman does brilliantly, avoiding definition and instead providing stories and observations, from the world of the Greek and Roman gods to Mick Jagger and Abe Lincoln, for examples. It's a wild ride sometimes, but when I reflected upon it, I realized the deep insights that he as culled from this complex word and phenomena.

As a student and teacher of leadership dynamics, I have rarely come upon so thorough and carefully reasoned a survey of the variety of ways in which power is expressed in human relationships.I have long admired Hillman's work. This is among his best. He teases out the subtle differences among power-related phenomena, helpfully delineating distinctions among interpersonal power types (authority, for example) and intra-psychic power (resolution, will, desire, and so on). I found his discussion of tyranny particularly insightful, as he exposes how facile is the illusion of personal autonomy when in fact persons allow habits and attitudes to dictate positions and life choices.Anyone interested in investigating power will find Hillman provocative and challenging. Do not expect to have anticipated everything the author deals with, nor to have your prejudices confirmed without a contest.

Elucidates power very well. This book really, really opened my eyes that way. Power, and its specific types, are concepts that all of us are very familiar with, and have to be. Verbalizing those concepts and their intricacies makes for clearer thought and more powerful action. The author writes very clearly and simply.My caveat comes from my background of believing in evolution and sociobiology. There are parts of the book that the author deals with what he calls 'archetypology', which is basically an attempt to explain power at a more profound level of abstraction. His archetypology uses the pre-Christian, Greek gods and goddesses. I would archetype things myself differently, and thus found that part of the book not very useful.Five stars nonetheless, for the pros heavily outweigh the cons. Great work!

I really enjoyed this book. James Hillman is a unique visionary as a psychologist. Yet, this book does not provide answers about power. It rather deconstructs power in an attempt to forge new and better ideas and notions about power. I found this interesting and even profound. But it actually leaves you with a greater task than you started with at the end of the book. Ultimately this is probably a better thing for the world of not yourself. But it will take work to implement and explore the new ideas of and for power that Hillman imagines.

I can't summarize Hillman. Just know that he splits your mind open by always taking you deeper into thought. In this case, his focus is on the polythestic forces of power. I definetly will reread this text.

I learn a lot from the author's analytical and generalizatonal frameworks. The paradoxical themes of power is greatly defined in logical sequence.

Ein wunderbares, sehr lesenswertes Buch in englischer Sprache. Im Allgemeinen finde ich James Hillman großartig. So überzeugt er auch hier.

Not what I expected. Does clarify the temporary illusion of sexual power, such as the degenitilisation of Michael Jackson or the over genitilasation of Madonna, all meaningless now, but drew many of us in at the time.