Power and influence? Power and influence!
Whether on stage, in politics, in business, or in our personal lives: Power - understood as the possibility to exert influence - shapes our bilateral relationships as well as the dynamics of a team or group. Those with more power decide what happens and are heard. Those with less power are overlooked, ignored, and must conform.
Guides on how to handle power have been around for quite some time: Machiavelli’s "Il Principe" is perhaps the best-known work on the subject, followed by Greene’s "The 48 Laws of Power". This article does not claim the same level of fame. But perhaps it will help you exert influence more easily on issues that matter to you in the future, or help you better understand why you are overlooked at certain moments.
Power, Rank, and Status - a definition of the terms
In literature, power is usually equated with social rank or status: Social rank refers to an individual’s relative position within a group, organization, or society. This position determines how much power, influence, prestige, and access to resources a person possesses as a result, compared to others. The resulting status - or the recognition associated with it - in turn describes their public image and the privileges that come with it. Studies confirm that attractive people benefit from a beauty bonus - others refer to it as erotic capital. Their bargaining power is greater, their income is higher, and people have greater confidence in their abilities.
Factors influencing our rank
Power or social rank depend not only on appearance, but also on other factors that can be broadly grouped into the following three categories.
Gifted factors: Where and into what kind of body we are born defines our starting point. Social origin, ethnic background, as well as the physical and mental well-being are all factors worth mentioning in this context. If I am born a girl into a low-income, non-white family with physical and mental disabilities, my social standing is still lower today than that of a healthy white boy with high-income parents and a strong educational background.
Acquired factors: Educational attainment, professional position, income level, and social connections are examples of status that can be earned. As a member of executive management with a university degree and a corresponding income, one is considered to have greater social standing than a janitor with only a elementary school diploma and an unfinished apprenticeship.
Displayed factors: In keeping with the saying “Clothes make the man”, one’s voice and body language, self-confidence, and the ability to establish and maintain interpersonal relationships appropriate to the situation also influence social status. A deep voice, speaking frequently, and direct eye contact are more likely to lead to a higher status than a nervous, high-pitched voice, sweat stains under the arms, and nervous stammering. Thus, a lack of starting capital, as well as factors that have not been acquired, can be compensated for - at least in part - by a strong presence.
General and context-specific rank
While the starting point into the social hierarchy lies beyond our control, we can influence the factors we acquire and display. However, it is not we who decide whether the rank we thereby seek is recognized in a specific situation, but rather our social environment. The American psychologist Arnold Mindell refers to this as a context-dependent rank. In most cases, people speak of 'status' - the visible expression of rank -which, according to Schmitt and Esser, authors of the book *Status Games: How to Gain the Upper Hand in Any Situation", can be achieved in three ways:
Through content: You can use your choice of words to position yourself above others (I have significantly more experience in this area than she does) or below them (I admire her strategic foresight).
Through voice: You can establish a high social status through a full, deep voice, deliberate pauses, and a leisurely speaking pace, or end up with a low social status due to a slightly high-pitched, thin voice, breathless, hurried speech, and a few 'ums'.
Through body expression: An upright posture, relaxed, expansive gestures, direct eye contact, and physical contact with others - such as a pat on the shoulder - convey high status. A slightly tilted head, blinking, and repeated brief eye contact, crossed arms and legs, and nervous hand movements convey low status.
The Interplay between the inside and the outside
According to Schmitt and Esser, one’s perceived internal state (do I feel insecure or confident?) and one’s displayed external state (do I appear insecure or confident?) do not always correlate. The contextual effect varies accordingly:
Low inside, high outside: If I am insecure and try to mask this with status symbols, it often comes across as forced, and sometimes as aggressive and domineering. Those around me feel subjugated, uncomfortable, and dislike this way of displaying status.
High inside, low outside: If you are self-assured but consciously step back to give others space, this can come across as charismatic and generous. Those around you feel at ease - maybe even a little flattered.
Low inside, low outside: If you are feeling insecure and can admit it openly without shame, it comes across as human and likable. Those around you take note of this temporary 'weakness', may offer support, and you yourself quickly regain a higher rank as a result.
High inside, high outside: If you are aware of your own high status and display it in an unassuming manner, this creates a relaxed sense of high status that is quickly accepted by those around you. People look to the high-status individual as a role model and trust the leadership position that results from this.
Know the rules of the game and play by them
Rank and status, as well as the position of power associated with them, are often the subject of critical debate: How can someone appear to be more important or powerful simply because of their background or level of education? Why are these power games necessary? Status and the resulting 'pecking order', however, are part of being human, because social interaction is constantly clarified through status signals. Who speaks first, who goes next, who shakes hands with whom. If these sequences had to be negotiated verbally all the time, social interaction would become cumbersome.
Yet these power differences are rarely significant or limiting: A relaxed, high-status approach builds trust, reinforces professional competence, leads to decisions, and can be effectively utilized in moderation to ensure everyone has a chance to speak. A low status reveals that you yourself are still uncertain and need support, or that you want to give others the floor first. Rather than fighthing again power games, it seems therefore more important to master the rules of the game yourself so that you can participate in a more conscious way.
Embracing the power you have been given
If a rank is consistently not lived out, the resulting mixed signals lead to uncertainty and shifts in power: If a leader consistently remains in a low-status position (I would rather leave the decision up to you, I feel uncertain and need your help, This is too difficult for me right now; I would rather delegate it to others), a team initially seeks guidance, then compensates for the indecision, and increasingly takes the lead itself without having the necessary organizational authorization to do so. A position one has attained or the role associated with it should be lived out accordingly so that the desired social stability can emerge.
Social status and the influence that comes with it are therefore not a bad thing, but rather a tool to be used consciously and in an ethically correct way. Perhaps this serves as a motivation to reflect on how we handle power ourselves, to shed light on its darker aspects, and to find a more relaxed way of dealing with it - so that participating in the power games is not only successful but also enjoyable.