How to Become Powerful

Amy Taylor May 29, 2013

The desire for power is a basic human instinct. No matter how we try to deny it, there’s a person within us that is constantly looking for power. But being powerful extends way beyond being dominating or influential. It also involves the ability to lead and change lives. Unfortunately, most of us ruin their chances of becoming powerful individuals by not even trying at all.

Can you be powerful? Of course you can. Every one of us, regardless of gender, age or status in life has access to all the means and resources to becoming powerful. But first, it is important to understand the various types of power you can use.

Power Over – this involves the ability to motivate or force people to perform through the use of punishment or reward. Power over uses a decisive, goal-oriented approach.

Relational Power – you have this power when people follow you not because of a reward or fear of punishment but because they admire you. They accept and abide by your decisions because of trust and admiration.

Creational Power – this kind of power is something that impacts the lives of others by creating an environment or circumstance that allows them to harness their potential. This power makes you a leader who has the ability to change others for the better.

Soft Power – this is the power manifested by priests and church leaders. Through soft power, you are able to influence others and achieve your desired results by inspiring and encouraging them. You motivate them to believe in your values, ethical stance or vision.

Conceding Power – there are situations when, no matter how much you want to retain your power, you had to pass it on to someone else. This results from giving up your power either willingly or due to fear of consequences.

Empowerment – this is when you transfer your power to a person or a group of individuals. But this is different from conceding power. Here, you still work in the background, helping others use their power more effectively.

Positional Power – you have this power when other people accept, respect and follow your decisions because of your title, rank or position in an organisation. Often, this power is used as a means to exert soft power, power over, and the creational power.

Can you use these powers together?

It is possible to obtain all these kinds of power and incorporate them into our lives. Combining some of these powers together is sometimes important in achieving good results, depending on the given situation. For example, soft power and empowerment are more effective when used to inspire teams. In a study by Anita Williams Woolley and Christopher F. Chabris which was published in the journal Science, it was found that groups built on diversity and trust were more likely to demonstrate evolved thinking which results to increased productivity and creativity. Soft power and empowerment, when combined, gives people a sense of responsibility needed to perform well. Add creational power to help them improve their skills and develop their true potential. Ultimately, these will all lead to empowered, highly productive and responsible team members.

Conceding power, no matter how negative it sounds, has a critical role to play. Just because you’re giving up power doesn’t mean you’re losing it entirely or that you’ll become powerless. It is the power that maintains the balance between people, groups and organisations. It reminds us that we should pick our battles wisely, learn which fight to give up, and which to continue.

Important Things to Remember about Being Powerful

Forget the idea that everyone should like you. Just as the old saying goes – you can’t please everyone. Don’t expect that in every decision you make, everyone is going to like it and respect you for it. Perfection doesn’t mean power. As long as you think that your decisions would benefit more, go for it. Remember, just like unanimity, majority makes you win.

Relationship matters more than performance. You can be the top performer in your department but that doesn’t give you enough access to power. It is important that you maintain good relationship with your colleagues, most especially with your superiors. Remember relational power? Your ability to connect with people makes you powerful enough.

Don’t think that others are born to lead and others aren’t. Everyone has a leader within. Leaders are made, not born. By working hard to develop your skills – interpersonal and intellectual, you can become powerful and influence others in the best way you can.

Get access to key resources. Talk to people who can inspire you to become powerful, meet new people and help them in every way you can, and get close to those who can motivate you to harness your true potential.

Make an honest assessment of yourself. Many people like to think well of themselves, which pushes them to underestimate their true abilities and potential. Making an honest assessment of yourself helps you give more focus on the things you need to work on and develop.

What do you think are the things that often hinder people from becoming powerful? Share your insights by posting a comment below.