Power in the Workplace: How New Managers Can Navigate Influence Without Losing Their Way

Let's dispel the myth: power isn’t a dirty word, if you understand how it works.

Jenna was ready for the extra responsibilities when she stepped into her new management role. What she wasn’t ready for was the invisible current running through every meeting, every email, every side glance. One team member who used to be a peer suddenly stopped replying to her messages. Another kept offering unsolicited "advice" in front of others, chipping away at her authority. And then there were the whispers—"Well, that’s not how Mark did it."

Nobody had trained her on how to deal with power. Not hers. Not theirs.

If you’re in a management role—especially a new one—you have power. And you’re surrounded by people who do too. Some will support you. Others might resent you. And some won’t even realize they’re playing power games until something breaks.

This post is your practical guide to understanding what power looks like at work, how it shows up in unexpected ways, and how to use it responsibly without losing your voice—or your mind.

What Is Power, Really?

In the simplest terms, power is the ability to influence or control outcomes. At work, it shows up in who makes decisions, who speaks up, who people defer to, and who gets looped in early (or left out entirely). It’s not always loud. Sometimes it’s the quiet gatekeeping of information. Sometimes it’s charisma. Sometimes it’s just knowing where the bodies are buried.

The big twist? You don’t need a title to have power. And having a title doesn’t mean people will follow you.

How Power Shows Up (Even If No One Talks About It)

Let’s go back to Jenna.

She had legitimate power now—the kind that comes with a title. She could assign work, approve vacation, and run the meeting. But that wasn’t enough. Because one of her team members, Rachel, had referent power (people liked her, looked up to her) and informational power (she'd been there the longest and knew how everything worked).

Meanwhile, Jenna’s peer in another department had connection power and political power—he’d been friends with the director for years and always seemed to know what was coming before she did.

Jenna had power. But she wasn’t the only one.

And because no one had explained this to her, she was trying to lead while not understanding all the dynamics at play.

The Types of Power (Through a Real-World Lens)

Here’s what Jenna learned, one uncomfortable situation at a time:

• Legitimate Power: Comes with the job. It gave her the ability to manage tasks but not people’s loyalty.

• Reward Power: She realized quickly that public recognition went a long way—sometimes more than bonuses.

• Coercive Power: When she threatened to take away a flexible schedule, she saw the backlash it created.

• Expert Power: Early on, she leaned heavily on a technical lead to make decisions because they knew the product better than she did.

• Referent Power: She started noticing who others listened to after meetings. That was real influence.

• Informational Power: People who controlled access to knowledge (systems, reports, decision-makers) often shaped outcomes more than titles did.

• Connection Power: Jenna didn’t have it yet—but she started building it intentionally.

• Ecological Power: Who got invited to certain meetings? Who sat next to whom? These weren’t accidental choices.

Why New Managers Often Struggle With Power

Because they either:

• Try to lead without using their power (to stay “liked”),

• Overuse authority to “prove” they belong, or

• Ignore the power dynamics around them altogether,

• Not understanding or recognizing that there are different types of power.

Jenna touched on all four in her first 90 days.

She apologized too much. She hesitated to enforce deadlines. She avoided giving feedback to the team member who was clearly trying to undermine her. She wanted to earn respect without rocking the boat.

But here’s the thing: If you don’t use your power, someone else will.

Power Isn’t Just Top-Down

Jenna started realizing that power moved in all directions:

• Downward: How she led her team.

• Upward: How she influenced her boss’s perception.

• Sideways: How she navigated her peers—including the one who kept "offering help" while subtly undercutting her.

The more she ignored the politics, the more frustrated she became. Not because she wanted to play games, but because power doesn’t disappear just because you want it to be fair.

What Happens When Power Gets Messy

Eventually, things hit a wall.

Rachel missed a key deadline and blamed it on "unclear expectations." People stopped speaking up in meetings. A high-performer asked to move to another team. Jenna felt like she was babysitting adults.

Sound familiar?

This is what misused, ignored, or mismanaged power does. It breeds:

• Sabotage

• Silence

• Side deals

• Burnout

Power is always in the room. The only question is who’s using it, and how.

How Jenna Turned It Around

She started with a brutally honest question: What kind of leader do I want to be, and what kind of power do I need to use to get there?

Here’s what she changed:

• She clarified roles and expectations—and stuck to them.

• She started naming what she saw. “Rachel, I noticed you often reframe my decisions in front of the team. Let’s talk about that."

• She built relationships across departments to gain connection and informational power.

• She made space in meetings for other voices—then backed them up publicly.

• She set clear boundaries around performance and accountability.

She didn’t become a power-hungry boss. She became a respected leader.

Using Power Responsibly: A Quick Reset

Whether you're a Jenna or leading your own version of her story, here’s your checklist:

• Know your power: What types are you using? Which ones could you grow?

• Watch your tone: Are you creating space or dominating it?

• Be consistent: Power misused is bad. Power applied unevenly is worse.

• Protect your team: Don’t let passive-aggressive games slide. Address them.

• Use your voice: Power isn’t about control. It’s about clarity.

Final Thought: Power Isn’t the Problem. Avoiding It Is.

If you’re feeling unsure of your power right now—good. That means you’re paying attention.

But don’t stop there. Step into it. Own it. Use it thoughtfully. Because whether you like it or not, you are a person of power now. The question is whether you’ll use it to lead, or leave that space open for someone else to fill it for you.

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