2. The Six Sources of Power

The six sources of power

Welcome back. We've reframed power and politics as essential leadership tools. Now let's get specific about the different types of power you can develop and use. This is chapter two, the six sources of power. So as we talked about, power is about the ability to influence outcomes with integrity. So here are six sources you can draw from. One, verbal power. Your words project credibility and influence.

This means asking well-timed questions that shift the conversation, using decisive language instead of tentative phrases, and framing ideas around your audience's priorities, not just your own. So think about what you say in leadership meetings. When you're giving your analysis, do you frame it as, I think maybe we should consider? Or do you say, based on the data, I recommend we? This small shift will immediately increase your influence.

And then looking at physical power. Your body communicates leadership before you speak. Stand tall with shoulders back, eliminate fidgeting or rushing, and use intentional pauses to signal authority and confidence. And the third source, expertise power. This comes from respect and influence based on your knowledge or skill. Be known for your depth in a specific area and share insights that others can't easily replace. Now this isn't about being the smartest in the room. It's about being the most valuable.

The next source here, number four, reward power. This is about creating opportunities or offering resources for others. You recommend people for projects or promotions, provide access to training, introductions, or visibility. So even without formal authority, you can create value for others. The next, number five, information power. This comes from access to data, networks, or insider knowledge. Share timely, relevant updates that help others succeed and use your position to connect people to the right information at the right time.

Rating your own power

And finally, number six, reference power. This is trust and credibility that draws others to follow you. Build your reputation for results, fairness, and consistency, and be someone that other people want to be associated with. So now that we've gone through those six sources, it's true that most leaders over-rely on one or two sources of power and miss opportunities to develop others. For example, many technical experts lean heavily on expertise power but neglect verbal power, which limits their influence.

So here, let's assess where you currently stand. I want you to rate yourself one to five on each source of power that we just went through. So for example, verbal power. How confidently and clearly do you communicate? For physical power, how do you show up physically in important situations? Expertise power, what are you known for? What do people come to you for insight? Reward power, how often do you help others access opportunities? Information power, are you plugged into important information flows? And reference power, do people trust and respect you? Do they seek your opinion?

So here you can find these again by going over into your course workbook and you can see all the sources of power and rate them. Also take some time to answer these follow-up questions about which area is your strongest and weakest and then choose one that you could impact to improve your leadership effectiveness. So one weak area that you could improve, or maybe your strong power source, what's something that you could do to even push that further.

You can also use this leadership power map, which is linked here in your workbook. This is a little bit more detailed. And what you can find here is, within the different power categories, you can check off how you would rate each of the areas, one through five. It makes it a little bit easier. Sometimes I can say, just rate one through five. Well, how does that equate?

So here you can see specifically what they equate to for each of these power levels. And you can just simply check off where you feel you are in them. And then there are some reflection questions and suggested actions for each of the power levels. So that's a great way to get started on this journey. So go ahead, pause the video and take some time to work through these exercises.

Respect, inspiration, and pushback

Because going back, something important that I want you to understand is when you step fully into your power, three things happen. You earn respect from those who appreciate strong leadership. You inspire others to rise and develop their own power, and you trigger pushback from those who fear your growth or feel threatened by change. And when we're talking here about pushback, this might look like aggressive questioning of your ideas, dismissive comments about your capabilities, or even being sidelined in important decisions.

And what's important here to think about is that if you are experiencing pushback, that's proof that you're shifting the status quo, and it means you're having impact. And so, like I said, anytime you step into power, you'll experience these three things: respect, inspiring others, and the pushback. So when you're talking about handling pushback, here are some strategies that you can use in order to deal with it, because it can be quite tricky when you're experiencing it for the first time. It's really important that you don't take it personally. Opposition is usually about the other person's insecurity, not about your worthiness or capabilities.

Strategies for handling pushback

You want to make sure that you ask sharp questions. When someone challenges you aggressively, respond with curiosity. Maybe saying something like, that's an interesting perspective. What data are you basing that on? So this can shift the focus back to substance and challenge assumptions. And you want to make sure you pause before responding. You can use silence to defuse tension and show that you're not rattled. A calm pause followed by a measured response demonstrates composure and strength.

And make sure you hold your ground. Stand tall and speak with clarity. You can say something like, I hear your concern, here's what I'm offering. Make sure that you don't apologize for your position unless you're actually wrong. And I know for a lot of people, apologizing, saying you're sorry, is the first thing you want to do, but try to weed that out of your vocabulary unless it's really necessary.

Okay, so now let's move on to the next exercise. Go ahead and head back into your workbook. And I want you to think about a time when you faced pushback or resistance to your ideas or leadership. How did you handle it? And looking back, what could you have done differently using the strategies we just discussed about pushback? Write down one specific situation where you could practice holding your ground with more confidence. So go ahead, pause the video now and take some time to answer exercise five.

Ethical and unethical power

Okay. And as we move along here, I think it's important to address the elephant in the room. Some of you might be thinking, this sounds manipulative, or I don't want to become political. But again, here's the thing. Power itself is neutral. It's how you use it that determines whether it's constructive or destructive. So when we're talking about ethical power, ethical power is used to advance ideas that benefit the organization, create opportunities for deserving people, build coalitions around shared goals, protect those who don't have a voice, and drive positive change.

On the other hand, unethical power is used to advance personal interests at others' expense, exclude or diminish others, hoard information or opportunities, avoid accountability, or maintain unfair advantages. So the goal here is not to avoid power, but to use it responsibly. So wrapping things up here, you already have more power than you realize. The question is whether you're using it effectively and ethically.

But by developing all six sources of power that we just talked about, you create multiple ways to influence outcomes and drive results. Because remember, again, power isn't about controlling others. It's about increasing your ability to create positive impact. So the more power you develop, the more good you can do. In our next chapter, we're going to explore how culture shapes the way power and politics play out and how to navigate different environments successfully. See you there.