Influence is Power

Every meeting has two types of people in it. Those with power and those without.

Most people tend to think of power in terms of job titles and positions on the organizational chart.

The CEO has power. A vice president has power. Your boss has power (over you and your career).

While this is somewhat true, it is not a complete view of power.

Power comes in two forms. The first form is what most people think of when they think of power – via authority and control.

However, there is another form of power. It is power through influence or gravitas.

Gravitas refers to how seriously others take you and your ideas.

Have you ever noticed how some people in a meeting get more attention than others?

Have you been in a situation where one person expresses an idea and everyone ignores it, but then a different person expresses the same idea and gets noticed?

Have you been the person that was overlooked?

The reaction you get (or don’t get) isn't a function of the quality of your ideas.

It is a function of your gravitas (or lack thereof).

Is this fair?

Definitely not.

Is it true?

Absolutely.

The reality is that you have to have either authoritative power or gravitas. If you don’t have either, your role is to work for those who do have one or the other, unless you do something to intervene.

Fortunately, gravitas can be improved… significantly.

Gravitas isn’t about being arrogant (that’s just called “being arrogant”).

Gravitas isn’t about faking it until you make it (if you’re incompetent, it’s wise to keep your mouth shut).

Gravitas isn’t about interrupting others or mansplaining your ideas (that’s just called “being annoying”).

Gravitas is about understanding how power works in organizations.

It is about understanding where power comes from, how to obtain it, how to borrow it, and how to use it to further your goals.

To learn more about developing gravitas to increase your influence, go to www.CaseInterview.com/gravitas. On this page, you can find information about the upcoming release of my program on How to Develop Gravitas for Extreme Career Success.