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Learn to take your career to the next level with personal power
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Wondering how personal power can help you excel in the workplace (and throughout life in general)? We’ve got you covered. Personal power is a source of strength and energy that comes from within; it’s a combination of your values, ideas, knowledge, and skills, and understanding how to use it can make you a better leader and more productive worker. Read on for a complete overview of personal power: what it is, why it’s so important, and how to unlock your own personal power and use it in your daily life.
Things You Should Know
- Personal power is the ability to influence people and events. When you have personal power, your confidence and experience make you a natural leader.
- There are two kinds of personal power: expert and referent. Expert power relies on using your knowledge, while referent power is about using natural charisma.
- Develop personal power by using a growth mindset to build your communication skills and confidence. Maintain your integrity no matter how influential you are.
Steps
Section 3 of 6:
Types of Personal Power
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Referent Power Referent power relies on excellent interpersonal skills. Having referent power makes you approachable and charismatic—the kind of person others gravitate toward and listen to because you come off as confident. After all, when you listen to someone with referent power and confidence, it tends to leave you feeling inspired or comforted in turn. Natural charisma can really motivate people! [3] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
- Referent power doesn’t mean being manipulative; it just means commanding respect through the way you present yourself.
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Expert Power Expert power relies more on knowledge than natural charisma. When you have expert power, it means you’ve got a lot of know-how on a particular subject—and people likely defer to your authority because they recognize that power. Having expert power makes you an influential person in the workplace because others likely look to you for advice, strategies, or input on important decisions. [4] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
- Expert power and referent power are equally important, but it’s okay if you don’t have both. Even having one or the other gives you a great deal of personal power—and it’s never too late to develop your power further.
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about personal development, check out our in-depth interview with Erin Conlon, PCC, JD .
References
- ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1412625/
- ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1412625/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6036240/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6036240/
- ↑ https://getmarlee.com/blog/personal-power
- ↑ https://howwelead.org/2011/04/23/points-of-power-can-help-self-leadership/
- ↑ https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01094/full
- ↑ https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/NCO-Journal/Archives/2019/May/Value-of-Influence/
- ↑ https://howwelead.org/2011/04/23/points-of-power-can-help-self-leadership/
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