Power Dynamics in Leadership and Coaching: A Fireside Chat with Janus Adams

In this fireside chat, IOC’s director of education, Pamela Larde, will be joined by historian and Emmy award-winning journalist, Janus Adams to discuss how imbalanced power dynamics can play out within dyadic relationships such as those that may exist between coach and coachee, leader and team member, or doctor and patient. When harmful power imbalances exist, we risk undermining the value that both parties bring to the table, as one may inadvertently deem themselves as either superior or subordinate to the other. Often rooted in a silent conflict between gender, professional titles, social identities, or economic statuses, our unconscious bias can create debilitating power dynamics that serve to silence rather than empower. In this conversation, the speakers will explore both oppressive and liberating relationships, examine approaches to becoming aware of our own ideas around power, and discuss strategies for creating more psychologically safe relationships within the context of imbalanced power dynamics. A Q&A will follow the fireside chat.