The thrill (and risk) of Power: How senior leaders can lead with purpose, not pressure

What kinds of power are at play in your organisation?

Charity leadership expert and co-founder of Better Strategic Consultancy Ltd, Claire Irving, explores the different kinds of power at play and how noticing how you lead can create flourishing cultures.

You're already powerful. But is your power fuelling progress or friction? 

Whether you're steering an exec team, influencing trustees, or holding the room with stakeholders, understanding power dynamics isn't just helpful. It's essential.  

Power flows in every direction, not just downward. And the most effective leaders are those who know how to navigate it with self-awareness, intention, and care. From this starting point, brilliant cultures - and outcomes - can flourish.  

At Better, we work with senior leaders across the charity and public sectors, and we often see this pattern: big strategic ambition gets tangled in the fog of power dynamics. Misalignment between Board and exec. Calm confidence mistaken for disengagement. Well-meaning authority creating distance, not direction. These patterns don’t just slow momentum, they quietly derail it. 

So, how can you notice this and adjust your style to have even greater impact?  

What power are you using?  

The truth is, you’re probably using a blend of some different power types (hopefully not all of them). The key is noticing which ones dominate your approach and whether they’re helping or hindering your impact... and then adapting your behaviour to get the best outcomes.

1. The power of coercion  “If we don’t deliver this, there will be consequences.” 

Put simply, this is the power of fear. It is sometimes subtle, sometimes it's explicit. When leaders or Boards resort to threats (even implied ones), they may get short-term compliance, but at a cost: low trust, diminished morale, and risk-aversion.  

In charity leadership, fear-based power is really like using a sledgehammer to thread a needle - it’s blunt, damaging, and completely unnecessary. Strategic clarity, psychological safety and brilliant results will never come from a place of fear. 

2. Your personal power 

“She gets buy-in because people trust her.” 

Personal power stems from credibility, integrity, and emotional intelligence.  It’s not about charm or buttering people up, instead it’s about being a consistent, values-led presence that others want to follow. In exec teams and with your Board, this can be the quiet force that shifts mindsets and unlocks consensus. A brilliant power to have but remember you’ve got to walk the walk to talk the talk - this power vanishes quickly if you lack authenticity.  

3. The power of authority  

“I make the final call.” 

This is the power granted by your role - CEO, Chair, Director. It’s real, and sometimes necessary but if overused or left unquestioned, it can alienate others. Leading well means knowing when to step into authority and when to step back to invite ownership and accountability and this can be a hard balance to strike when stressed, under pressure or under-resourced.    

4. The power of expertise  

“She’s the one who knows how that works.” 

Expertise carries weight and in a senior role, your knowledge is often a key source of influence. But relying solely on your own expertise can lead to bottlenecks, burnout and dissatisfied teams. True leadership includes creating space for others to grow and demystifying your areas of specialism so that so others can step up, engage deeply, and contribute meaningfully. Expertise should multiply talent, not monopolise it. 

5. The power of information 

“They know things before everyone else does.” 

Information is power, especially in complex organisations and/or where change is happening. But when knowledge is hoarded or selectively shared, it will breed mistrust. Leaders at all levels who use their informational power well can be seen sharing context generously, demystifying decisions, and creating transparency. It means putting time aside to plan communicating with people, to follow up and to do the work... 

6. The power of reward 

“If we reach this target, we’ll reward the team.” 

Career progression, praise, sometimes bonuses - rewards matter but getting the cakes in when you reach a fundraising milestone, achieved in a culture built on bullying, coercion and burnout... cake at the end of that? It’s the insult icing on a burnout sponge. 

Leaders should ask: are the rewards being handed out in our organisation aligned with the culture we want to build? Is it at the expense of our staff? Are we incentivising collaboration, learning, outcomes and impact or are we creating a culture of competition which fails to meet the needs of our beneficiaries or donors?    

How do you know how you are doing?  

Here’s the paradox: the more power you hold, the harder it is to see its impact. Feedback gets filtered. People stay quiet. You’re far from the ripple effects. That’s why regular reflection, anonymous feedback, mentoring and peer spaces matter. They help you reconnect with how your leadership lands, not just how it’s intended. 

When you understand your personal power and how power moves through your organisation, you can use it intentionally.  

You can build brilliant cultures.   

You can empower your team, not just direct them. You can lead with clarity, not control. 

And in doing so, you model the kind of leadership our sector needs: confident, values-led, and deeply human. 

Three questions to ask yourself -

1. When do I rely on the power of my role and is it always necessary? 

2. Where could I use personal or informational power to build more trust? 

3. What kind of power dynamics exist between my Board, me and the exec? What might need unblocking? How might we do that? 
   

Better Strategic Consultancy helps leaders create clarity, navigate complexity, and build real alignment with Boards, teams, and across organisations. If you’re looking for support that gets to the heart of things, let's talk. Drop us a line info@betterconsult.co.uk or fill in our contact form.

You can also listen to our companion podcast One Thing Better

Because when leaders like you get this right, it’s not just about influence. It’s about impact.