Presented by: Gail Golden

1. Finding and Using Your Power
Gail Golden, MBA, Ph.D.
Society of Women Engineers
The Annual Conference for Women Engineers
October 24, 2014

2. 2
Agenda
• Different kinds of power and when to use them
• Gender differences in effectively wielding power
• Building your power
• Common pitfalls for powerful women leaders
• Deciding when to flex your power
• Building power together

3. What is Power?
The ability to influence others, so that your ideas
and vision become reality
3

4. A Typology of Power
• Legitimate Power
• Reward Power
• Coercive Power
• Information Power
• Charisma Power
• Expert Power
• Referent Power
4

5. Legitimate Power
Power comes from the leader’s position.
She has the right to tell someone to do something.
5

6. Reward Power
Power comes from the leader’s ability to bestow
rewards.
6

7. Coercive Power
Power comes from the leader’s ability to punish.
7

8. Information Power
Power comes from the leader’s
ability to access and share
important information.
8

9. Charisma Power
Power comes from the leader’s glamor, aura, or
ability to make others feel special.
9

10. Expert Power
Power comes from others’belief that the leader
has special knowledge and expertise and knows
what is necessary.
10

11. Referent Power
Power comes from the fact that others admire the
leader, want her approval, and desire to be more
like her.
11

12. Building Expert Power
• Promote an image of expertise.
• Maintain credibility.
• Act confidently and decisively in a crisis.
• Keep informed.
• Recognize your people’s concerns.
• Avoid threatening your people’s self-esteem.
12

13. Building Referent Power
• Practice what you preach.
• Be honest.
• Earn trust.
• Celebrate wins.
• Remember the importance of perception.
13

14. Traditional Female Power
• Guilt/shame power
• Sexual power
• Crying power
• Indirect, manipulative
power
14

15. Gender Differences
• Competition
• Attributional style
• Physical stature
• History and culture
15

16. Building Your Power
Inside
Outside
16

17. The Inside of Power:
Thinking and Feeling
• Believing in yourself and your expertise
• Trusting your own judgment
• Expecting that others with listen with respect
• Knowing your strengths and weaknesses
• Developing comfort with conflict and risk
• Forgiving yourself
• Being in the moment
• Seeing yourself as an important person
19

18. The Outside of Power:
Presence
• An air of authority
• Gravity
• Strength
• Depth, maturity
• Intelligence
• Emotional composure
• I don’t take crap
18

19. Developing Presence
• Appearance
• Voice
• Balance of tension and relaxation
19

20. Common Pitfalls
• Lack of role models
• Falling off the tightrope
• Fear of power
• Excessive need to be liked
• Sabotage
• Systemic barriers
• Others?
20

21. Flexing Your Power
When do you get tough?
• Ethical issue
• Critical issue for the business
• Responding to disrespect
• Defending someone else
21

22. Getting Tough
• Not smiling
• Increased volume
• Very direct
• Eye contact
• Posture
• Not backing down
22

23. Women Building Power
Together
• Friends
• Teachers
• Listeners
• Mentors
• Sponsors
• Cheerleaders
• Defenders
23

24. Stand If You Ever …
• Laughed at a joke told by a man at the expense of
women
• Assumed a woman got a job because of a quota
• Speculated that a woman got a job or a promotion
because she had sex with someone
• Made a commitment to a woman and then broke it to be
with a man
• Said or thought, “You can’t trust women.”
• Were more critical of women leaders than men leaders
• Relished the feeling of being the only woman in the room
24

25. Stand If You Ever …
• Expected a woman leader to be more caring and gentle
than a male leader
• Undermined a woman’s chance for a promotion or
special assignment
• Criticized a woman for taking time off for family
responsibilities
• Were friendly to a woman’s face and talked negatively
behind her back.
• Criticized a women for aggressive leadership you would
admire in a man.
• Undervalued the work of another woman
25

26. The Sisterhood Code
26

27. Final Thought
What is one change you will make in how
you build, express, and use your power in
the workplace?
27

28. Gail Golden, MBA, Ph.D., is the
Principal of Gail Golden Consulting,
LLC. As a psychologist and
consultant for more than twenty
years, she has developed deep
expertise in helping businesses to
build better leaders.
www.gailgoldenconsulting.com
ggolden@gailgoldenconsulting.com
28