TIPS AND TECHNIQUES FOR BUILDING EXECUTIVE POWER

Sunday, 18 March 2007

By Susan Marshall, President Executive Advisor, LLC No matter what your position, how long you have been with an organization, or what power your title carries, a true sense of power comes from knowing yourself, understanding others, feeling competent to do your work, and helping others to do theirs.  Here are some ways to build this sense of power. Get the lay of the land.  Step back from your situation and understand what’s going on, who is controlling what aspects of it, who has influence to change things, and what your relationship is to these people.  Be specific, be clear, be objective.  Understand accepted protocol.  Know the expectations that others have of you in your role.  You may choose to reset those expectations, but you must understand them first. Focus on what’s possible.  Many people develop the skill of expertly dissecting problems and discussing why they exist.  Fewer have the ability to create and implement solutions that lift the expectations and energy levels of others. Examine your “normal” behavior.  What are you teaching others about yourself on a day-to-day basis?  Solicit feedback.  Being aware of the impressions you create is the first step toward managing them. Consider your behavior under severe or prolonged stress.  What are your key strengths?  Where are you vulnerable to breakdown?  What are you teaching others about how you respond in critical situations?  Solicit feedback.  Using this awareness, create responses that demonstrate steadiness under pressure. Appreciate the fullness of your work.  No matter how optimistic you are, dark days do occur.  On those days, remember that difficulty and challenge strengthen you and teach you how versatile and capable you truly are.  Feel the power? Susan Marshall is President of Executive Advisor, LLC and author of “How to Grow a Backbone: 10 Strategies for Gaining Power and Influence at Work.”

 

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