If we are to lead, we have to understand power.
So many leaders still find it extremely hard to navigate the complex dynamics that come with authority and the concept of power and hierarchy is a topic that comes up again and again in my work.
When you’re in a senior role and dealing with multiple responsibilities, making decisions, and setting direction for others, it can be really hard to recognise how your power impacts those around you. Yet it’s one of the main areas that, when not handled well, can quickly lead to dysfunction within a team.
In this blog, ‘Why leadership authority creates team challenges’, I’ll look at why power dynamics can be so challenging, why being mindful of them is so important, and outline some practical tips to help you manage this aspect of leadership more effectively.
Why power dynamics create challenges in teams
Power fundamentally changes interactions in ways we often don’t see. When we gain authority, we experience subtle but significant shifts in our behaviour and perception – and those around us respond differently too.
There are three main issues that come into play:
We often don’t realise the weight our words carry – As a leader, casual comments can be interpreted as direct orders. What feels like a passing thought to you might be received as a mandate by your team. This misalignment creates pressure and confusion that you may not even realise exists.
Power naturally creates distance – When we hold authority, we receive less candid feedback, hear fewer problems, and get a more filtered version of reality. This information gap grows wider the higher we are in an organisation, making it increasingly difficult to stay connected to some of the realities for employees.
Our perception shifts subtly but meaningfully – Power literally changes how we see the world, often reducing our ability to take others’ perspectives and increasing our focus on our own goals and priorities. This natural cognitive shift happens without our awareness but significantly impacts how we interact with our teams.
Why managing power dynamics is so important
Being mindful of power dynamics is essential for building psychological safety and collaboration. Without this awareness, trust will break down, people will withhold their best ideas, and the quality of work will inevitably suffer.
When we hold power, it takes genuine vulnerability and intentional effort to create spaces where people feel they can speak up, challenge ideas, and contribute fully.
As leaders, we have a responsibility to all those in our team or organisation to ensure that our authority enhances rather than diminishes the contributions of those around us.
What happens when power dynamics go unmanaged
Unaddressed power dynamics lead to all sorts of dysfunctional team behaviours:
- Silence where there should be debate
- Agreement without real buy-in
- Hidden information and problems
- Risk aversion and permission-seeking
- Decision bottlenecks
- Reduced innovation
- Disengaged team members
Power is very personal, and as a result, how you wield it significantly impacts psychological safety and engagement across your team.
If you aren’t conscious of your power, trust will soon disappear. If employees feel they can’t speak up, disagree, or bring problems forward, it sends a signal that their perspectives aren’t valued which, in turn, feels very personal, like you don’t care about them.
Trying to dismiss these dynamics with “it’s just part of being the boss” or “they need to be more assertive” misses the fundamental reality that the responsibility for managing power dynamics rests primarily with the person who holds the power.
How to manage power dynamics more effectively
If this is an area you struggle with there are things you can do to create better balance:
Create deliberate conversation spaces – Establish opportunities for employees to share perspectives where it’s clear that input is not just allowed, but expected. This might mean regular roundtable discussions where everyone speaks, or rotating meeting facilitation responsibilities.
Mind your reactions – Your response to unwelcome news or challenging questions sets the tone for all future interactions. Practice responding with genuine curiosity rather than defensiveness or immediate problem-solving, especially when faced with perspectives that differ from yours.
Acknowledge your mistakes openly – Nothing sorts unhealthy power dynamics faster than a leader who can say “I was wrong” or “I missed that” without being defensive. This vulnerability signals that you value truth over status and creates space for others to be similarly genuine and vulnerable.
Seek input before sharing your view – Once you’ve stated your opinion, it becomes much harder for team members to offer alternatives. Practice asking for input first and sharing your thoughts after others have spoken, especially on important decisions.
Recognise your power footprint – Be mindful that your comments land with greater weight than you intend. Clearly distinguish between when you’re thinking out loud, when you’re seeking input, and when you’re making a decision. Always be clear if something is for discussion or if the decision has been made.
Build direct feedback channels – Create multiple paths for receiving honest feedback about your leadership, including anonymous options. Regularly ask specific questions about how your use of power is experienced by others.
Look for silence as a signal – Pay attention to who isn’t speaking and create opportunities to hear from them. Remember that silence doesn’t mean agreement – it often signals the opposite when power dynamics are at play. People need different amounts of time to respond so be aware of that in your team.
Organisational culture and power dynamics
There has to be awareness of power for a healthy organisational culture to thrive. If people don’t feel empowered to speak up, challenge the status quo, or bring forward problems, there is little point in trying to change or improve the culture.
Ensuring that healthy power dynamics are baked into the culture of your organisation is crucial. Make sure psychological safety and balanced power are part of leadership development and team assessments. If they aren’t, it’s not really going to be ‘how things are done around here’ and any cultural aspirations around innovation, agility or collaboration aren’t going to stick.
Review your relationships with your team – make sure that you’re not dismissing concerns because ‘that’s just how leadership works’ and explore how, together, you can ensure the environment is safe enough for real dialogue about power dynamics to occur.
I talk about power a lot throughout my book, Nobody Believes You, which explores how you can build your credibility as a leader and become one that your team and organisation will follow.
Ultimately, great leadership isn’t about having power – it’s about how mindfully we use the power we inevitably hold.
If you’d like some help to develop your own leadership or those on your wider team, drop our team a message at info@redefiningcomms.com
