# Good Power by Ginni Rometty - Blinkist

What’s in it for me? Discover how to use good power.

At some point in your life, you’ve probably been in a situation that you badly wanted to change. It may have been a family dilemma, a practice at work, or a societal issue. Whatever the case, you just know deep down you want to make it better.

But then you start wondering exactly how. After all, you’re not in a position of power, so that’s hardly going to be possible, now, is it? Well, think again.

Former IBM CEO Ginni Rometty believes that each one of us can create positive change for the benefit of ourselves and our communities. She calls it good power. In this short Blink, we’ll zoom into one of the principles of good power: being in service of others.

The primary use of good power lies in being in service of others

Good power is a force to be reckoned with. It pushes you to aim for personal growth and advancement until you transform into your best self. But while it does serve you well, its impact actually goes beyond individual benefits – it also makes a world of difference when used in the service of others.

To be in the service of others is to prioritize their needs ahead of your own and actively assist them to become better, too. That doesn’t mean merely delivering what you’re supposed to. That’s just “serving” and not “being in service of.” The latter involves a deeper commitment, where you exceed what’s required of you and go as far as stepping into the other person or people’s shoes.

Now the question is, how do you become in service of others?

First and foremost, you need to give the others value, primarily one that solves their problems or helps them improve themselves. But value doesn’t appear out of thin air. To come up with something valuable for the people you’re in service of, you need to research them first. You can’t address an issue you know nothing about, so read up.

Listen to the others, too. Just by keeping your ears open, you’ll understand so much more about their needs.

To deliver value, you need to develop clear communication skills, as well. After all, the best advice and insights are those that are simple and easily digestible. You don’t want people to spend hours grasping what you mean, because then you’re wasting their time, and that’s the exact opposite of giving value.

On top of delivering value, you can also be in service of others by teaching them. Be their mentor and show them how they can develop their skills. Share your knowledge, encourage them to keep learning, and give them the resources that support their personal growth. That way, they can readily take on challenges and realize their full potential.

That’s how you use good power to be in service of others.

The people you dedicate yourself to serving change over time

So now you know how to put your good power to good use to be in service of others. But who exactly are those “others”?

The answer to that changes as you grow older. At each stage of life, you’ll find yourself being in service of one group one minute then another group the next. That’s because the bigger the responsibilities you gain, the wider the impact of your good power becomes.

At first, you’re going to be in service of your family or the people you care most about. After Rometty’s dad abandoned the family, her mom had to spend all hours of the day outside their home, diligently working to sustain their needs. Rometty had to take charge and be in service of her younger siblings. She made them meals, helped them with their homework, and made sure that they stayed out of trouble. She took on a motherly role, and her good power influenced her siblings to become self-reliant.

From there, Rometty went on to join IBM and redirected her focus toward being in service of her clients. One of them was the insurance company Allstate. Allstate wanted to incorporate technology into its operations to keep up with the emerging online policy sellers.

In response, Rometty and her team launched a research initiative about the prevailing trends within the insurance industry. It wasn’t something that was expected of them – in fact, there weren’t a lot of tech companies engaging in such an endeavor. But Rometty knew that to truly be in service of their client, research was necessary. They had to dig deeper to understand the client and their problems better. Only then were they able to form a value-packed strategy.

Upon assuming the role of IBM’s CEO, Rometty realized that she was now in service of not just the company and its clients but also the community. For her, it meant giving more people access to high-paying job opportunities in tech.

This led to her SkillsFirst initiative, where applicants’ skills are given priority over their academic background. IBM revised its job postings, removing college degrees from their qualifications and replacing them with specific skills instead. While the move sparked controversy in the beginning, it ultimately proved to be advantageous for the company. It was filling roles faster with the throng of applications it was getting, and the best part was that business performance wasn’t compromised at all. It was a movement that soon spread to other companies and became beneficial to millions of people.

Final summary

You possess good power within you to positively change whatever circumstance you’re in. But the use of good power shouldn’t end with personal benefit. Channel your good power to be in service of others, as well. Provide them with value and lend them a helping hand in their own journey to change. When harnessed to be in service of others, good power holds the potential to leave a bigger impact on the world.