By By Dr Smita Fernandez
November 10, 2025
“Power” is a word that instantly stirs emotions. For many of us, the very sound of it conjures up something negative: domination, politics, suppression, greed. Rarely does the word carry a neutral or uplifting meaning. Yet if we pause for a moment, we’ll realize that at its core, power is simply energy — the ability to act, to produce an effect, to move something forward. It can mean physical might, moral efficacy, mental strength, or influence. Without power, nothing changes, nothing grows.
The question then is not whether power is good or bad — but rather:
Where does power come from? How is it expressed? And with what intent is it used?
The most common idea of power that comes to mind is power over. This is the image etched in our minds from rulers exerting control, corporations crushing competition, individuals rising by suppressing others. Power over depends on taking from someone else. It thrives on domination, coercion, and exclusion. It’s the kind of power that produces winners and losers, the strong and the weak.
Yet, there are at least three other ways of looking at power that open up far healthier, more equitable possibilities: power with, power to, and power within.
Power With: Strength in Connection
“Power with” is built on collaboration. It emerges when people come together around shared values or goals. Rather than dividing, it multiplies —think of community movements, grassroots campaigns, or even small teams at work that rally around a common purpose.
“Power with” doesn’t diminish anyone; it uplifts everyone involved. It recognizes that even when interests differ, common ground can be found. This form of power builds trust, deepens relationships, and generates lasting results because it’s rooted in cooperation instead of conflict.
Power To: The Freedom to Act
“Power to” is about the belief that each of us has the capacity to shape our lives, to influence outcomes, and to create the future we want. It is the creative force that lets us dream, innovate, and achieve. When you set a goal and persist until you reach it, that is “power to” in action.
Unlike “power over,” this doesn’t require others to lose. It’s a reminder that human potential is boundless — that every person carries within them the seeds of unique contribution. “Power to” is what drives an artist to paint, an entrepreneur to launch, a student to persevere, a parent to nurture. It’s the raw ability to act and bring something into being.
Power Within: The Inner Core
Perhaps the most transformative form of power is power within. This is power grounded in inner clarity. It’s the knowledge of who you are, what you stand for, and what matters to you. It is experienced as a strong sense of self-worth, and shows up as attractive confidence.
Power within does not depend on external titles, wealth, or even recognition. It’s an inner anchor that keeps us grounded even when circumstances change. Power within comes from self-awareness and self-acceptance — from knowing our values and living aligned with them.
When people radiate this kind of inner power, it shows. They walk into a room with quiet assurance, they inspire others without trying, and they influence not by force but by presence.
When we put these threads together, personal power is the integration of “power with,” “power to,” and “power within.”
Exercising Personal Power is a key module of our Stand Tall women leadership development program. Through a blend of experiential activities and guided reflection, participants explore what personal power truly means to them. They begin to uncover and challenge the negative associations often linked with power — seeing it not as dominance or control, but as the ability to act with clarity, confidence, and purpose and discover new ways to lead with authenticity and inner strength. |
At its simplest, personal power is the belief that we always have a choice.
Personal power is about developing mastery over self. It’s the ability to manage our thoughts, emotions, and actions so that we create the outcomes we desire. It is about directing our own “personal kingdom” — our mind, our behavior, our energy.
This form of power is built on strength, confidence, and competence. It doesn’t come from position or authority; it comes from within.
Most importantly, personal power is more an attitude or state of mind than a tactic. It’s not about manoeuvring or manipulation. It’s about being rooted in your own truth and values and acting from that space.
A person with personal power influences others not because of a title on a business card, but because of who they are and how they show up.
“Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” – Lao Tzu
In a world where uncertainty is constant and external control is fleeting; personal power is essential. Here’s why:
The beautiful thing about personal power is that it’s not inherited or gifted. It can be cultivated. Here are some ways:
In the end, the most enduring power is not the one that silences others, but the one that helps each of us rise — together and within.
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
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Dr Smita Fernandez ,is a leadership enhancement facilitator with 2 decades of experience in leading and tailoring leadership initiatives across groups from senior and C Suite leaders, to first time managers. She has led over 5000 programs across a range of organisations like Microsoft, Vodafone, ITC, NVIDIA, GM, Myntra, Akamai, Intuit.
Her ability to connect with people across levels and create an environment where people are invited into deepening their understanding of their context and discovering more about themselves, has enabled participants to establish what leadership means in their individual realities and build and hone their own style of leadership- one which is aligned to both the organisational vision and their own vision for themselves.
She strongly believes that when people are being the best version of themselves, it creates fulfilling and sustainable change that benefits all.
Women’s Leadership Development is a topic that all of us at Navgati are passionate about – we believe that the world needs more women in leadership roles and over the years, we have designed a range of creative learning interventions focused on helping women become as potent as they could be.
You may be wondering why this special focus on women – don’t all leaders need to focus on personal growth? Absolutely they do but the reality is that women face a unique set of external and internal challenges. External challenges like unconscious bias, social conditioning and gender role expectations; internal challenges like discomfort with ambition; talking about their work; focusing overly on their jobs vs their careers…
If you’d like to discuss more on how we can support you design and deliver an impactful leadership development program for your women leaders, do write to us at deepa@navgati.in
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