What's Your Professional Power Position? Where Confidence Meets Influence

?? FREE BONUS: Order a copy of my new book, Managing Up: How to Get What You Need From the People in Charge, here and get access to +$100 worth of scripts & templates.

For over a decade, I've helped professionals navigate workplace dynamics through my books, coaching, and teaching. What I've discovered through this work is a pattern that keeps emerging.

Many thoughtful, capable people have strong self-awareness but still struggle to translate that into tangible career results.

See, after my first book Trust Yourself came out, I noticed something fascinating in reader feedback. People would say things like:

• "I finally understand why I process things deeply, but I can't seem to translate that insight into getting my ideas heard."
• "I feel more confident in who I am, but it all falls apart when I have to deal with people in authority."
• "I know my worth, but I still can't seem to articulate my ideas effectively."
• "I understand myself better, but I'm still struggling to navigate workplace politics."

This pattern revealed a crucial gap. These professionals had gained valuable insights about managing themselves – their own emotions and reactions – but they were missing the bridge between self-awareness and real influence with others.

Introducing the Professional Power Position

This realization led me to develop what I call your "Professional Power Position" – that sweet spot where confidence in yourself meets real influence with others. True professional success requires mastering both your own psychology AND the psychology of those around you.

Imagine it as a Venn diagram:

On one side, you have your psychology at work – your relationship with yourself and how you:

• Perform without letting self-doubt consume you
• Deal with anxiety before high-stakes presentations
• Set boundaries without guilt
• Process feedback without taking it personally
• Stay calm when feeling emotional
• Disconnect from work at the end of the day

On the other side, you have others' psychology at work – understanding how people make decisions, what drives their behavior, and how power dynamics influence interactions so you can:

• Spot hidden agendas in meetings before they derail projects
• Know when to push for decisions versus build consensus
• Read between the lines of feedback to address real concerns
• Turn skeptics into allies before you need their support
• Create visibility for your work without seeming self-promotional

The magic happens when these two sides work together. That's your Professional Power Position – where inner confidence meets outer influence.

Why You Need Both Sides

It's not enough to focus on just one side or the other.

You might feel confident and self-assured, but still watch others with less expertise get promoted ahead of you because they know how to get buy-in for their ideas. Or perhaps you've overcome your overthinking enough to speak up in meetings, but your recommendations keep getting overlooked because you haven't learned to frame them in a way that resonates with decision-makers.

On the other hand, you might know the exact language that would get your boss's attention, but fear gets in your way and you second-guess yourself into watering down your message. Or you'll see a career-changing opportunity emerging, but imposter syndrome convinces you to wait until you're "more qualified."

A Real-World Example

Let me share a story that show what happens when these two sides come together.

One of my clients, "Brenda," was a seasoned marketing leader who found herself in a tough spot after her company's second reorganization of the year. She went from leading a team to being stripped down to an individual contributor and reporting to a new manager she struggled to respect or connect with.

This shook her confidence tremendously. She started questioning her value and holding back because she didn't want to rock the boat.

The internal psychology piece came into play first. Brenda had to:

• Stay grounded when her boss dismissed her ideas
• Separate facts from stories – distinguishing between what actually happened versus the meaning she was attaching to interactions
• Trust her judgment again
• Express disagreements constructively without fear of being labeled "difficult"

This internal work was crucial, but it wasn't enough on its own. Brenda also needed to be strategic about navigating her new reality. She realized that while she couldn't change her direct manager situation overnight, she could build relationships elsewhere.

She started deliberately cultivating a relationship with her skip-level VP, not by going around her boss, but by consistently demonstrating her strategic thinking in ways that added value. She paid attention to what kept her VP up at night and proactively brought solutions to those problems.

Over time, this paid off in a remarkable way: when the company decided to build out a new analytics arm, her VP approached Brenda to lead it. Not only did she get to write her own job description, but she also rebuilt a team – this time on her own terms.

Stepping Into Your Professional Power Position

Real success and professional growth – the kind that gets you noticed, respected, and rewarded – happens when:

• You can be both strategic AND decisive.
• You can read the room AND trust yourself enough to act on those instincts.
• When you can spot opportunities AND have the confidence to seize them.

I've been exactly where you might be right now. I've had the boss who couldn't communicate clear expectations. I've watched colleagues get tapped for exciting opportunities while feeling invisible. I've struggled to navigate complex workplace dynamics, always feeling one step behind.

And like many of my clients, I blamed myself. I overthought everything, became a people-pleaser, and made myself miserable.

Here's what I know now: The problem wasn't me. And it's not you either.

Your emotional intelligence is actually your competitive edge – if you're willing to use it strategically.

When thoughtful, emotionally intelligent people step into positions of power, everyone benefits.

Whatever your career aspirations, stepping into your Professional Power Position allows you to have more say in how, when, and where you do your job and to have greater influence on the direction your career takes.

These career wins aren't just about external validation – they're proof to yourself of what you're capable of when you combine internal confidence with external savvy.

The workplace continues to evolve rapidly, but one truth remains constant: success comes to those who can manage both their own psychology and understand how to navigate the psychology of others.

? Operate with personal power – even when you lack positional power

That's exactly what my brand new book, Managing Up, helps you do. It's a practical playbook for navigating relationships with higher-ups, packed with science-backed strategies and step-by-step tactics.

Whether you’re dealing with a micro-manager, working to set stronger boundaries, going after a promotion, or simply want more peace of mind every day, this book provides the tools you need to get recognition, gain a competitive edge, and create the career you deserve.

?? FREE BONUS: Order Managing Up here and get access to +$100 worth of scripts & templates.