Power Play

Hard power

at a glance

• Hard power is influence based on fear. It relies on coercion, command and control, yell and tell, reward and punishment, and control of information.
• Its main focus is on results. Bureaucratic hierarchies and reporting structures are typical expressions of hard power. Symbols of status and prestige are others.
• Hard power is tough on leaders because it demands they know all the answers, are always right and never make mistakes. Hard power's influence tends to last only temporarily. It discourages discretionary effort, innovation and creativity.
• The internet age has undermined hard power's reliance on control of information and helped pave the way for more inclusive modes of influence.
• Machiavelli is a famous historical advocate of hard power based on fear and control of information. The police and defence forces are bastions of hard power.

Focus	Impact
Outcomes	Temporary
Attitude	Action
Fear	Coercion

Chapter 3 Hard power … ouch, that hurts!

Hard power is about coercion, command and control, yell and tell. It is also the carrot-and-stick approach, rewarding good behaviour and punishing bad. Every society needs to impose some level of hard power. Our police and defence forces, for example, are bastions of hard power that are tasked with keeping our streets and country safe.

Our world is replete with institutions, edifices and symbols that support the exercise of hard power. One of Australia's biggest companies has recently custom-built ...