There are two main avenues for acquiring power. The first is rooted in the job position. Being the boss means people have to listen to what you say, or pay the consequences. Unfortunately, becoming the boss can take years of hard work. There is also no guarantee that such hard work will be rewarded with promotions and career advancements. In addition, bosses are often disliked and others sometimes actively work to undermine a boss' authority. In the end, bosses come and go and personal power that is position based is fleeting. In tandem with this formal system there also co-exists an informal system for getting things done. At times these two systems work in unison, at other times they mirror or complement each other as employees go about the daily working of the school. At other times though they come into direct conflict. Through this informal system exists a second avenue to power which relies on the use of personal and institutional networking to achieve goals. This strategy may not result in ultimate power, but it produces a power base that is more enduring and often broader based. Unlike power that stems from a specific job or title, this power allows the individual to avoid the major pitfalls that power can bring. With this form of power there is little, if any, open rivalry or resentment from colleagues. There is also a closeness that develops that provides access to information, and with that information the opportunity to build more networking and an even stronger power base. It is important to understand how the informal network of personal ties allows the institution, and the people that work there, to survive and grow. Those individuals who understand the informal systems within a college can use this knowledge to their advantage.