How is power acquired? Are there strategies and tactics that people can learn which will increase their chances of becoming more powerful? Richard Brislin claims there are. In this work he reveals the unwritten rules for obtaining power, and presents an analysis of power as a tool in developing clout and in implementing decisions. This framework for looking at why and how certain groups have a greater understanding of the role of power in the worlds of business, education, human services, law, and politics integrates relevant scholarly literature with interviews of more than one hundred powerholders.

Focusing on the workplace and community environments, Brislin makes the reader more savvy about the role power plays in gaining support for proposals, in formulating policy, and in molding a career. He discusses the role of power in the personalities of people; why the power motive is stronger in some individuals than in others; the use of resources and resource exchange; ethics and the use of power; and strategies and tactics in the acquisition and application of power. He also suggests means to develop a sophisticated view of power as a tool in the service of leadership. Anyone interested in achieving more power, in holding his or her own against others in power, or in gaining insights into policy formulation and decision-making will find The Art of Getting Things Done to be particularly valuable.