How Do People Actually Get Power? Not the Way You Think.

A few years ago, The New York Times philosophy series “The Stone” posed a question to more than a dozen notable thinkers: What is power?

The answers were as diverse as the contributors themselves.

“Power is language,” argued one. “Power is rhetoric, and the ability to convince others they ought to do what you want them to do,” said another. Others defined it as “the confidence to speak for yourself,” or “acting for good — and knowing when you should.” One respondent went further still: “Power is anarchy.”

In the classroom, Professor Peter Belmi has heard similar responses when he asks the same question: Power is influence. Authority. Status. Control. Independence. Freedom. Autonomy.

“There is widespread confusion about what power really is,” says Belmi, the Scott C. Beardsley Associate Professor of Business Administration. “People seem to have an idea of what it is in their mind, but they can’t quite define it. And then when you probe their definitions, they’re often talking about entirely different things.”

There’s also uncertainty about how to acquire power and what the path to power really entails.

“People have been debating this for centuries,” he adds. “Many people think it boils down to being likable, collaborative, and kind. So, how do you explain Donald Trump?”

Belmi’s interest in power predates the course. He first encountered the subject while earning his Ph.D. in organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. In 2013, he became a teaching assistant for a course titled “Path to Power,” taught by Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, a renowned authority on the subject. The two have since co-authored research.

When Belmi joined Darden 11 years ago, he built his own version of the course.

“I developed the course in a way that reflected my own perspective on power and the questions I wanted students to wrestle with,” he says.

Belmi, who also serves as the course head for the First Year “Leading Organizations” core course, has been recognized multiple times for his impact in the classroom. Most recently, in 2025, he received the All-University Teaching Award, which recognizes the UVA’s most dedicated, passionate and creative instructors.

Power, it turns out, is also an uncomfortable topic.

“In the United States, many people subscribe to the idea of a meritocracy,” says Belmi. “Power dynamics complicate that story. They suggest that hard work and talent  don’t always determine who succeeds.”

To bring clarity to the conversation, Belmi wrote a technical note, “What Is Power? Clarifying Concepts and Controversies,” addressing some of the most common questions and debates in his “Paths to Power” class.

Distinguishing Power From Status

Simply put, power is the disproportionate control of valued resources that allows individuals to impose their will on others, says Belmi.

In an organization, resources can range from logistical resources to human resources to budgets.

“Almost anything in an organization could be conceived of as a resource,” he adds. “The people who are good at the power game often get what they want because they can make nearly any resource they hold appear valuable and needed. More importantly, they are willing to play their hand, even if that puts other people in a tough spot.”

Status, by contrast, is the respect and esteem an individual holds in the eyes of others.

Together, power and status form the fundamental basis for hierarchies in organizations.

“We can rank-order individuals based on how much control they have over resources, and how much they are respected and admired by others,” Belmi explains. “Power and status form the basis of who has influence in organizations — the ability to change others’ attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors.”

Too often, however, power is conflated with status.

“Almost everybody wants to be respected and admired,” says Belmi. “There’s a universal desire for respect. But not everybody has a desire for power. Many think that having power will get them the respect and admiration they desire, but you can get those things even without having power. I’ve heard some CEOs say that if you want respect and admiration, just get a dog. A dog will love you unconditionally.”

The distinction between power and status may sound clinical, but its implications are not. For example, Belmi adds that, according to science, the worst combination is when someone has power but lacks status.

“Those who control resources but don’t feel respected by others are the most likely to use their power in a way that harms others,” he says.

The Seven Sources of Organizational Power

Belmi explains that your power within a team or an organization depends on how much others need the resources you control and what alternatives they have to obtain them.

These sources show up in different ways, but they share a common logic: control what others need, and you gain leverage.

In the technical note, he identifies seven distinct sources of power:

- Coercive power comes from the ability to fire others, dock pay, limit budgets, administer sanctions, issue disciplinary action and assign undesirable tasks.

- Expert power comes from having specialized knowledge or skills that others need to solve problems, make decisions or move forward.

- Formal power comes from having a formal position and, accordingly, the authority to make decisions and supervise others.

- Informational power comes from having access to and control over privileged information and data.

- Network power comes from having valuable contacts inside and outside the organization and the ability to control others’ access to them.

- Operational power comes from having control over facilities, equipment and/or scheduling.

- Reward power comes from the ability to control others’ pay, benefits, budgets, promotions, and/or access to desirable assignments and opportunities.

While asymmetric control of resources is the foundation of power, control alone isn’t enough. Power depends on whether others need you, value what you hold and lack viable alternatives.

“When these conditions are true, people are motivated to please you and give you what you want,” says Belmi.

The Two Paths to Influence

Most efforts to gain influence fall into one of two broad strategies: dominance or prestige.

Dominance strategies rely on intimidation or coercion. Prestige strategies build influence by demonstrating skills and expertise.

Most people prefer one path. Effective leaders understand both.

Dominance can be effective for gaining power and enforcing coordination, particularly in high-pressure or competitive environments, but it often results in being disliked. Prestige generates status and goodwill, though that influence can be fragile when unpopular decisions must be made.

“Most people feel far more comfortable relying on prestige tactics, but some research shows that when it comes to power, dominance might be more effective,” Belmi says. “Because most people are conflict-averse, those who are willing to instigate conflict have the upper hand.”

Power Can Be Learned

By clarifying what power actually is, Belmi helps students and leaders answer three questions: Why do I want it? What will I do with it? Am I willing to pay the price? 

There is also a personal dimension to Belmi’s work: the hope that people will recognize that they are more powerful than they think.

“We often think that we can’t do much about the circumstances that we’re in because we tend to equate power with formal authority,” he says. “But once you understand that power is really about the control of resources, you realize you have more cards to play.”

For example, he adds, “in a parent-child relationship, most people would designate the parent as the formal authority and, therefore, the more powerful party. But children can be powerful too, when they recognize that they hold something that their parents want from them: their love and affection.”

It’s also important to understand that power has little to do with the personality you are born with.

“Building power in an organization requires mastering a set of behaviors, like networking, speaking more confidently, and building a memorable brand,” says Belmi. “The good news is that those things can be easily learned — as long as you get over the biggest barrier, which is yourself.”

Ultimately, Belmi hopes that the framework helps people better understand the organizational landscapes they navigate.

“I hope that whoever reads this note will be able to put into words what they observe in the real world, but don’t yet have any language to describe,” he says. “Once you see the framework and concepts, all of a sudden, Donald Trump becomes less of a mystery. His strategies are actually from a predictable playbook.”

Professor Peter Belmi, with case researcher Bianca Kemp, is the author of the technical note “What Is Power? Clarifying Concepts and Controversies,” published by Darden Business Publishing (December 2025).