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Article

The Seven Sources of Power: An Alternative to Authority

Pages 102-104
Published online: 28 Dec 2017
 
Translator disclaimer

Power is almost universally and mistakenly seen as the capacity to control other people. In this article power is defined as the capacity to produce change which flows from seven different sources: grounding, passion, control, love, communication, knowledge, and transcendence. Persons whose power or lack of it is exclusively based on the manipulation of others suffer from powerless or authoritarian scripts which compliment each other. Persons who derive their power from a balanced mix of the seven sources described are likely to become Resisters when confronted with authoritarianism.

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Author information

Claude M. Steiner

Claude Steiner, Ph.D., is a Certified Teaching Member Instructor and Supervisor and twice winner of the Eric Berne Memorial Scientific Award.