Managerial Agency: Social and Psychological Power in Leadership

Managerial Agency describes the science of psychological influence and its use in leadership. Combining psychological, and sociological with leadership literatures, Managerial Agency provides a model of operating, and a method for managers to achieve their aims through the work of their colleagues. The Managerial Agent influences team members and bosses to accept and adopt their viewpoint and priorities as their own, so being self motivated to carry them out.

Managerial Agency borrows from the sociology of agency, authority and power; from the psychology of development, identity and personality and from theories of groups, politics and culture marrying these insights with those in organisational, leadership and charisma theory and practice. The Managerial Agent targets their colleagues’ “habitus”, their inner construct of values, views and attitudes; shaping it to conform to the Managerial Agent’s own, thus creating an organisational or industrial ally in achieving their aims.