Developing Power & Exercising Influence

Most people think power comes from titles.
It doesn’t.
             Power is the ability to influence others—not the authority to command them.

In modern organizations—authority is often limited, but influence is everything.

What Power Actually Is

At its core:
  • Power = control over resources others value
  • Those resources can be:
    • Material → money, budget, tools
    • Psychological → recognition, trust
    • Symbolic → purpose, meaning, legitimacy
This is the key shift:
            Power is not something you “have”—it’s something that exists in relationships and situations.

The Three Sources of Power

All power comes from three places:

1. Personal Power (Who You Are)

​This is your individual capability to influence others.

It comes from traits like:
  • Expertise and competence
  • Confidence and credibility
  • Communication ability
  • Emotional intelligence and empathy
  • Energy and persistence

Strong personal power enables you to:
  • Build trust
  • Win in competitive environments
  • Attract support
​
People don’t follow titles—they follow competence and conviction.

2. Positional Power (Where You Sit)

This comes from your role in the system.

Examples:
  • Authority to make decisions
  • Control over budgets or incentives
  • Ownership of critical systems or information
A critical insight:
Controlling scarce or critical resources creates more power than title alone.
Even engineers, operators, or specialists can have massive influence if:
  • Others depend on what they control
  • They sit at key decision bottlenecks

3. Relational Power (Who You Know)

This is often the most underestimated.
It comes from:
  • Your network
  • Your reputation
  • The strength of your relationships
Strong networks provide:
  • Information
  • Access
  • Support
  • Influence amplification
Power flows through networks—not org charts.

Power Is Situational
​

A huge mistake people make:
  • Thinking power is fixed
It’s not.
               Power depends on context, environment, and who values what in that moment.
​
You can be:
  • Powerful in one meeting
  • Powerless in another
Same person. Different situation.

How Power Actually Gets Used: Influence
​

Power is just potential energy.

Influence is how you turn power into action.
​
Without influence:
  • Power does nothing

Core Influence Approaches

1. Push (Directive Influence)

You:
  • Assert
  • Set expectations
  • Apply pressure or incentives
Works best when:
  • There’s urgency or crisis
  • The path forward is clear
  • Resistance is low

2. Pull (Persuasive Influence)

You:
  • Build buy-in
  • Align interests
  • Engage people
Works best when:
  • Change is complex
  • You need long-term commitment
  • Stakeholders must believe in the outcome 
 Great leaders know when to push—and when to pull.

The Most Important Shift: Influence Is a Campaign
​

Most people treat influence like a single conversation.
That’s wrong.

Influence is a long-term process, not a one-time event.

It requires:
  • Building coalitions
  • Creating momentum
  • Engaging the right people early

The Six Principles of Persuasion
​

There’s actually a science behind influence.
Research shows six consistent drivers of human behavior:

1. Reciprocity
People feel obligated to return favors
→ Give value first

2. Commitment & Consistency
People align with their past commitments
→ Get small “yeses” first

3. Social Proof

People follow what others are doing
→ Show adoption and momentum

4. Authority

People trust credible experts
→ Demonstrate expertise

5. Liking

People support those they like
→ Build connection and similarity

​6. Scarcity
People value what’s limited
→ Highlight urgency or exclusivity
These principles are predictable, repeatable, and widely validated.

Why People Are Influenced (Even When They Don’t Realize It)

​People are most susceptible when they:
  • Are uncertain
  • Are under pressure
  • Lack information
  • Believe they’re not easily influenced

This matters because:
        Influence often works below conscious awareness.

Common Influence Tactics
​

You typically operate across a spectrum:

Direct (1-on-1)
  • Persuasion (logic, reasoning)
  • Assertion (pressure, expectations)
  • Bridging (listening, involving others)
  • Attracting (shared vision, alignment)

Indirect
  • Using third parties
  • Leveraging reputation
  • Creating symbolic signals

Where Most People Fail

This part is important.

People fail at influence because they:
  • Focus on their idea instead of stakeholders
  • Ignore the political landscape
  • Try to “win” instead of build support
  • Use the wrong tactic for the situation
  • Wait too long to engage others

A Simple Mental Model

When you need to influence someone, think:
  1. What do they care about?
  2. What do they need?
  3. What pressures are they under?
  4. How can I help them say yes?
You don’t get influence by pushing harder—you get it by aligning better.

The Reality of Organizational Power

A key insight from the Smithers case:
  • Having the right idea is not enough
  • Being correct does not create influence
​
Success depends on:
  • Coalition building
  • Timing
  • Understanding stakeholders
  • Navigating politics

Final Takeaways

Power and influence aren’t about control.

They’re about mobilizing people toward an outcome.
​
The most effective leaders don’t rely on authority—they design systems where people choose to align.