Power at work: How to get it and keep it

Four predictors of power, five factors that help the powerful stay that way and six red flags from studies on the psychology of power in organizations.

Power is a critical resource for organizational actors. Given the profound importance of power to individual functioning, it is essential to understand how some individuals acquire power when others do not, why some individuals retain their power once they have attained it, and why others fall from their lofty positions in spite of the political advantages power provides.

After reviewing hundreds of the empirical studies on the psychology of power, Cameron Anderson and IESE's Sebastien Brion conceptualize power as a process that unfolds over time and summarize research that speaks to three distinct but related dynamics: the acquisition, maintenance and loss of power.

The authors address and attempt to reconcile a burgeoning set of findings that appear to conflict with each other, especially findings vis-à-vis the maintenance and loss of power. They conclude by addressing overlooked topics and areas for future research.