Is power based on influence, or is influence based on power?
The answer is both. The challenge is to decide how to employ each. Do you lead with power, or lead with influence?
The answer is it depends upon the situation.
Corporate influence
When my generation (Okay, Boomer) first entered the work force, we were expected to follow orders or else. And we did or found another job. Over the decades, there was a subtle shift toward greater delegation, allowing employees to exercise more autonomy and decide how to work more effectively.
One of the influences was the Toyota Production System, in which authority resided more with workers than with bosses. It was said that the most powerful people in manufacturing at Toyota were the vehicle program chiefs. Same in the U.S., but there was a difference. Toyota chiefs had no direct reports; American chiefs had many. The former relied upon influence based on experience. The Americans relied upon command and control.
The operative principle is trust. In the first instance, trust is secondary. You do what the boss says because you want to keep your job. In the second instance, you want to follow the boss because you trust their know-how. Therefore, the optimal use of power should be based upon trust.
Individual influence
Power within an organizational context rests on a foundation of authority, e.g., the boss. Influence within the same organizational context is derived from example and experience. In the first instance, the boss tells you to do something, and you do it because failure to do so may result in your being fired. In the second instance, the boss asks you to do something, and you do it because experience has taught you that the boss knows what’s best.
Executives have power over others because of the authority inherent in their positions. They are the boss, and bosses have the responsibility to get things done and the authority to do so. They accomplish their goals through others.
Peers have no authority over their colleagues. But they can exert influence based on their experience and example. Their peers trust them because they have proven themselves able to accomplish what needs to be done.
At the same time, executives can operate as peers insofar as they seek input and encourage individuals and teams to make the best decisions for how to accomplish the workflow. Doing so enables workers to exercise autonomy and, over time, take ownership of their jobs and their outcomes.
Each form of power is valid, but when it comes to building trust, we gravitate toward those who enable us to make decisions – within the context of the job – to get things done. That behavior enables us to exert ownership. If we are only told what to do, we will do it, but seldom with the same enthusiasm. We lack autonomy.
Our challenge is to understand our own influence – our sense of agency. We can make the choices that affirm our values and enable us to commit to helping the organization succeed.
First posted on LinkedIn 00.00.2026