McClelland, D. A. & Burnham, D. H. (2000). Harvard Business Review.


This article attempts to answer that question by using the degree of a person's need for power as a measure of success. McClelland and Burnham studied managers in large U.S. corporations. They also surveyed the managers' subordinates to determine how effective the managers were and to isolate the characteristics of those who created high morale. Their conclusions? The better managers tended to score high in their need for power--that is, their desire to influence people--and that need outweighed their need to be liked. The authors also found that the most effective managers controlled their desire for power so that it was directed toward the benefit of the institution as a whole. In his retrospective commentary, David McClelland considers his earlier findings in light of his research into two important changes that have occurred in the workplace since HBR first published this article 27 years ago: large hierarchical organizations have flattened out, and female managers have entered the workplace in full force.