<ol><li>Attraction – Increasing the perceived value of the resources you hold can shift the balance of power in your direction.</li><li>Consolidation – You can increase your power over other people by limiting their access to alternate sources for the things they value. </li><li>Withdrawal – Those in the lower positions can rebalance the scales by spurning what more powerful parties offer. </li><li>Expansion – Other diamond sellers also diluted De Beers’s pre-eminence by increasing the number of alternative sources for diamonds, from new mines in Canada to new techniques for creating synthetic diamonds.</li></ol>

Parties can sustain or realign a balance of power in four ways:

“Far from being fixed, power relationships evolve over time as the parties engage in…moves and countermoves.”“Collectively, our misunderstanding of power is catastrophic, because it makes us less likely to identify, prevent or stop abuses of power that threaten our freedoms and well-being.”

Power is not necessarily inherent in a title or position.

“Power exists only in the context of a relationship. No one is ever powerful or powerless in general.”

A power relationship is not always a one-way street

“Power fascinates and repulses us at the same time.”Most people harbor significant misconceptions about how power works and how individuals or groups acquire it. These fallacies can impede recognizing and averting abuses of power. They also impede people’s efforts to gain more control over their lives and to advocate for change in society.

To make a difference in the world, you need to understand the dynamics of power.

“[Power] seems like fire: bewitching, but capable of consuming us if we get too close.”

Power is morally neutral, and it is each person’s choice to use it to pursue noble or evil ends.

“Too great a power imbalance is dangerous, not only for the disadvantaged, but also for those at the top because it motivates action against the status quo.”

Serve your stakeholders, not only your shareholders.

“[The practice of] power-sharing and accountability accomplishes two objectives: It doesn’t let power go to the leader’s head, and it improves the effectiveness of the group.”

Society and businesses should restrain the use of power to prevent its abuse. 

“Having many connections is not the only way a network gives you power: You can also control access to valued resources by being the in-between, the information broker between networks.”Creating a power map requires observation. Take note of others’ behaviors and interactions to root out answers to:<ul><li>Who is in alliance, and who is in conflict?</li><li>Who has the most connections?</li><li>Who do people seek out for advice or information?</li></ul>

Relationships are a critical source of power.

“The primary driver of our desire for power is not the desire for influence over the lives of others, but rather freedom from the influence of others over us.”

Control over resources is the foundation of power.

<ol><li>Safety – In any human group, people may gain power by providing access to the necessities for physical and psychological well-being, such as food, water, shelter and protection from attack. </li><li>Self-esteem – People need to feel that their lives are meaningful and that they have earned respect and approval. Providing opportunities for people to connect, and offering ways in which they can elevate their status, achievements and moral standing are among the most significant routes to gaining power and influence.</li></ol>

The need for two fundamental resources has underpinned power throughout history:

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">To make a difference in the world, you need to understand the dynamics of power.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Control over resources is the foundation of power.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Power is morally neutral, and it is each person’s choice to use it to pursue noble or evil ends.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Having power can alter a person’s perspective and judgment.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Power is not necessarily inherent in a title or position.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Relationships are a critical source of power.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Society and businesses should restrain the use of power to prevent its abuse. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Serve your stakeholders, not only your shareholders.</li></ul>

Power, for All

“When leaders express humility, the quality of team members’ contributions increases, together with their job satisfaction and retention, and their engagement and learning orientation.”

Having power can alter a person’s perspective and judgment.

How It Really Works and Why It's Everyone's Business

""A remarkably insightful read on what power is, how it's gained and lost, and how it can be used for good. The masterful analysis by two leading experts will make you rethink some of your most basic assumptions about influence" (Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again)"--

Discover how to gain (and keep) power in any situation with this “remarkably insightful read on what power is, how it’s gained, and how it can be used for good” (Adam Grant, bestselling author of Think Again). Power is one of the most misunderstood—and therefore vilified—concepts in our society. Many assume power is predetermined by personality or wealth, or that it’s gained by strong-arming others. You might even write it off as “dirty” and want nothing to do with it. But by staying away from power, you give it up to someone else who may not have your best interest in mind. We must understand and use our power to have impact, and pioneering researchers Julie Battilana and Tiziana Casciaro provide the playbook for doing so in Power, for All. Battilana and Casciaro offer a “necessary” (Tarana Burke, creator of the #MeToo movement and bestselling author of Unbound) and “invaluable” (David Gergen, CNN political analyst) vision of power: the ability to influence someone else’s behavior. This influence is derived from having access to valued resources, and once you understand what those are, you can take action to improve life for yourself and others. With proven strategies of agitating, innovating, and orchestrating change, Power, for All shows how those with less power can challenge established structures to make them more balanced. The authors teach you how to power-map your workplace to find who can create real change at work, plan for and cause sustaining shifts, and understand the two basic needs all human beings share—safety and self-esteem—and the resources people seek to satisfy those needs: money and status, but also autonomy, achievement, affiliation, and mortality. They explore how these dynamics play out through vivid storytelling: as Donatella Versace successfully leads her brother’s company after his death—despite having a title, but little influence; what social movements can learn from youth climate activists and how they can go farther; and how a manager can gain the trust of skeptical employees and improve the workplace. Power, for All demystifies the essential mechanisms for acquiring and using power for all people.