The elements of power

I was fortunate to listen to an inspirational speech made by President’s Counsel Dr. Harsha Cabraal a few months ago at a CIMA Business Forum on the topic of ‘Power’. With his permission, I share some of the thoughts with the readers of the Daily FT.

What is power?

‘Power’ is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as: “the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way”.

How is power acquired?

Is it by birth, one’s fate or karma, destiny, or by one’s own efforts or sheer luck?

Dr. Cabraal cited some examples:

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth was born to a Royal Family, and continues to reign as the Queen for 60 long years. Her eldest son, Prince Charles, who has the birth right to become the King, has not been able to be the King of England yet, even at the age of 63.

How did Mahatma Gandhi influence the world with his ideologies of satya (truth) and ahinsa (non-violence)? He wasn’t born to royalty but was able to influence the masses with his charisma.

Is power permanent?

It is fascinating to know how ‘power’ shifts… from people to people, places to places and from era to era.

The Mahawansa spells out in its chronicle of how our motherland was ruled by the ancient kings for nearly 2,500 years dating back to the arrival of Prince Vijaya from India.

There have been shifts of power bases (kingdoms) from Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa, Kurunegala, Gampola, Raigama, and Kotte, etc.

Do you know that there have been kings in Sri Lanka who have been able to rule only for a day?

Haven’t we seen world leaders – Caesar, Napoleon, Hitler, in the past fallout from their powerbases and some in the current 21st century? Did we ever envisage that leaders in the league of Gaddafi and Mubarak lose their power? All had absolute ‘power,’ didn’t they? 

Is absolute power evil?

Lord Acton in his famous quote “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” has captured this phenomenon well. 

Shakespeare has also portrayed this hunger for absolute power which leads to one’s own demise in his famous play ‘Macbeth’.

The main role is based on a Scottish General Macbeth who receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he would become the King of Scotland. In his ambition to become the King influenced by his wife Lady Macbeth, Macbeth murders the reigning King. He becomes a tyrannical ruler, faced with guilt and it enfolds a blood bath to protect himself from suspicion. Ultimately it leads to the death of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Power of the people

State power is described in the country’s Constitution. The powers in the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (1978) are enshrined in three pillars:

n The Executive (President and Cabinet)

n The Legislature (Parliament)

n The Judiciary (Supreme Courts and other courts)

The father of English law, Henry de Bracton, penned:

“The king is under no man, yet he is under God and the law, for the law makes the king

For there is no king where will, and not law, wields dominion”

Therefore let the King renders back to the law what the law gives him, namely, dominion and power.

Power of a corporate body 

The Companies Act or the Corporate Statute in a particular jurisdiction clearly sets out the powers of the Company. Companies Act No. 07 of 2007 in Sri Lanka, Section 184 of the Companies Act sets out clearly that the corporate is governed by the board of directors.

Shareholders do not govern nor control companies. Instead, they appoint directors to act in the best interests of the company, to exercise duty of care bona fide. Thus, the power of governance of the corporate is in the hands of the board of directors. In addition, the Company’s Articles of Association would also spell out the internal mechanisms and powers of each company.

Power of wisdom

This is the most important element of power:

Master your words

Master your thoughts

Never allow your body to do harm

Follow these three roads with purity

And you will find yourself upon the one way

The way of wisdom

[Lord Buddha, Dhammapada]

Along with wisdom one needs to have a positive attitude in life. Positive thinking is based purely on one’s own correct attitude. Lord Buddha has preached that you are your own master. Every individual should know that he or she is always alone when it comes to live his or her own life. Do not have self-pity. Never blame others for your own failures!

On a personal note, I thought of sharing the words of Alexander the Great. On his death bed, he made three requests to his Ministers:

“My first wish is to have my physician bring my coffin home alone.”

“My second wish is to scatter the gold, silver, and gems from my treasure along the path to the tomb.”

“My final wish is to put my hands outside the coffin.”

What was the meaning of his strange requests?

Wish No. 1: Let people realise that a physician cannot really cure people’s illness. Especially when they face death, the physicians are powerless. I hope people will learn to treasure their lives.

Wish No. 2: Tell people not to be like me in pursuing wealth. I spent my whole life pursuing wealth, but I was wasting my time.

Wish No. 3: Let people understand that I came to this world in empty hands and I will leave this world also in empty hands.

“Be not afraid of greatness:

Some are born great, 

Some achieve greatness, 

And some have greatness thrust upon them”

–Shakespeare

Hasn’t our country produced leaders who fall into all of these three categories? 

Hopefully, it is our belief that our leaders, be that it may in any of the political/corporate or social arena:

n Be mindful of the transient nature of power , and 

n Act in the greatest responsibility that is entrusted to them

n Be humble with the accession of power

Act with honour and dignity at all times to the betterment of mankind

Finally, I conclude with a quote:

As all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances

–Shakespeare

(The writer is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (FCA). She holds an MBA from the University of Colombo, winning three gold medals during her course. She also possesses a first class honours degree in biological science from the University of Colombo. Manohari is employed at Hayleys PLC as manager for strategic business development. She was adjudged as the CIMA young star silver medal winner at the maiden CIMA Janashakthi pinnacle awards program, held in 2004.)