Success at work through personal power: grow your influence without formal authority

Home » Success at work through personal power: grow your influence without formal authority

Success at work comes from using our skills and abilities to deliver expected outcomes.

In other words, being really good at the thing we are meant to do. However, it is rarely that simple – as our work gets increasingly complex in an increasingly volatile and ambiguous world, being good at ‘the thing we do’ is not enough to be successful. We do not work in isolation, and merit alone does not get us to where we want to be. So we also need to be ‘good at the thing we do, and be good at working with others’.  It’s no surprise that many of us feel overwhelmed by this, and in turn feel powerless.

In the workplace, this can be even more acute. If you’re not a manager or don’t hold formal authority, it can feel like your ability to make change and progress is limited. We often get told on our courses sentiments like ‘I have this great idea, and no one knows about it’ or ‘I feel so disempowered, I’m not allowed to make decisions’. Add in the impact of wider structural inequalities – racism, ableism, sexism, ageism etc  – it’s easy to feel stuck. Success then becomes ‘I need to be good at the thing we do, work well with others, and challenge structures or barriers that get in my way’.

Whilst we can’t change society at large in one blog, here Philly Graham looks at what we can do at a personal level to increase our sense of power, and ultimately how we can be a force for good, using the popular framework developed by French and Raven*.

What is power?

People often have negative feelings about the word ‘power’. One of the reasons may be that power is not a single type of behaviour. Several types of power exist and some may appear less attractive than others. Power can also be used for control, coercion and manipulation. But it can also be used for good: making change, delivering the mission, empowering others.

One widely recognised theory of power, originally developed by social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven in the late 1950s, distinguishes between two broad forms: positional power (linked to formal authority) and personal power (rooted in influence and relationships).

Power can be in the form of authority: the power to say what will and won’t be. At work, this comes in the form of positional power: the rules around what we are and are not accountable for. We can therefore grow this type of power through our career development. By learning, developing, and progressing we can seek out new opportunities and even promotions. This is one way of becoming more influential – gaining more positional power.

Yet influence doesn’t always depend on hierarchy. Many people build power informally—through expertise, relationships, and trust. This is often referred to as personal power. We can build our influence – in the context of our relationships with others. This means we each have the potential to build influence, even without a formal position of authority. We also have the choice to grow our power deliberately: through the ways we show up, and how we connect with others at work.

How can we become more powerful?

So how can we grow our influence and therefore power at work? The most effective leaders rely on nurturing their personal power, rather than just using their positional power.

French and Raven give us four areas to focus on:

1. Information Power Being someone who is informed, who knows where to find things, and who shares relevant updates with others builds trust and credibility. There are several ways to get informed: looking outside the organisation at wider trends, understanding the external factors that affect your organisations mission, and keeping up with industry standards are all kinds of information. There is so much information available to us now. To harness this, you can also gain information about how the organisation works, how decisions are made, who does what and how your work impacts and connects to others. When you share that context helpfully, others come to rely on you. Being informed isn’t about having all the answers, or worse, gossiping, but about staying curious, observant, and generous with what you learn. Ask yourself these questions:
   • What could I do to keep informed about my work and factors that might impact that?
   • What information do I have access to that could help others?
   • How can I make it easier for other people to stay informed?

2. Expertise Power When you build skills and knowledge in a particular area, you become both useful and respected. Investing in your own learning doesn’t just help you grow your career (positional power) it makes others more likely to listen to you and value your input. Whether through formal training or hands-on experience, becoming a go-to person in your field can enhance your voice and visibility. Just as importantly, sharing that expertise freely signals confidence and builds goodwill. This in turn means you can use your expertise to influence decisions and affect change. This can include diving deeply into a topic through structured research, and keeping up with your profession. Ask yourself:
   • What am I known for? What would I like to be known for?
   • What skills could I strengthen to grow my influence?
   • How might these benefit others? What value can I add?

3. Goodwill Power Influence often starts with how you make others feel. When you show up with empathy, keep your promises, and treat colleagues with respect you’re building a foundation of goodwill. This kind of power doesn’t shout, but it’s incredibly persuasive. Your values are important here: your own ethical code about how you should work with, respect and treat others. By being reliable, generous, thoughtful and pleasant, people will know they can count on you. You can still garner goodwill, even when you need to challenge or hold difficult conversations. People are more open to influence when they feel respected and supported. Ask:
   • How do people experience me at work?
   • Who might benefit from my input and feedback? How can I give that in a respectful manner?
   • Do I ever behave in ways that undermine goodwill? Why is that and is there anything I could do differently?

4. Connection Power We may feel isolated at times, and certainly we need to get our heads down to crack on at work. But the reality is that organisations are systems of interdependent relationships – and so to have an impact, we need to build effective relationships. Influence often flows through informal networks as much as formal chains of command. Making the effort to connect across teams, share ideas, and spot opportunities for collaboration can create a web of mutual support that expands your reach—and your ability to make things happen. We build connection by getting out of our own bubbles, and seeking collaborators. It can also include connecting people to each other. Ask:
   • Who do I need to build stronger connections with? What do they need from me?
   • Who do I want to build stronger connections with? What might they want from me?
   • Who might I partner with in other teams, departments or organisations to create positive change?

Power is sometimes gifted to you and sometimes it is something you earn from those that already have it. However, you can also take proactive action to deliberately grow your personal power.  As your personal power grows, so does your opportunity to lift others up. Power doesn’t have to be hoarded – in fact, the most impactful leaders are those who share it. You don’t need a senior title to be a force for good at work. Start where you are. Build your influence with intention. And ask yourself:

• who do I want to influence – and what kind of difference do I want to make?
• how can I be an ally to lift others up too?

If you would like more ideas on how to be successful at work, take a look at our training programme – Success at Work. If you’d like to discuss specific challenges you’re facing regarding influencing, communication, collaboration or assertiveness and how we could help, contact us online or call 074 3690 3103.

* This post builds on French & Raven’s social power framework (1959, with later additions) Their framework remains a valuable lens for understanding how power operates in modern workplaces.