Whether you know it or not, whether you believe it or not, you are powerful. When you think you are powerful, you increase your power a notch with that belief. And when you think the opposite, you take yourself down a notch. What you \u201cknow\u201d about yourself affects what you do with our clients. Power comes from joining knowing and doing. Power is knowing what you want and

Power often comes with negative connotations because of the ways we have seen it abused in
the political world, by our clients, and within our own consulting firms. But it is the abuse we need
to eliminate, not the power itself. The abuses we\u2019ve seen can cause us to hesitate to say that we
want power. We don\u2019t want to be seen as controlling, selfish, or autocratic so we may deny our
need for power at the very moment we want it most. This column is about power as essential,
positive, and available to everyone\u2014and important to our success with our clients.

Imagine yourself as an international banker with six currencies stacked in front of you. You
possess more of some currencies than others; some of the currencies are stronger in the market,
more respected than others. You are trying to profit from the use of these six currencies. Your
supply of currencies is considerable and reliable, but not inexhaustible. In the face of the market,
how will you use the currencies available to you? In what combination? With what intensity? For
how long? With what purpose?

Like the banker\u2019s currencies, our power with our clients comes in a variety of hues, textures,
shapes, and sizes. There are at least six powers are essential consulting; six currencies that we
use in our quest for success. Consider these six powers[Footnote: I first discovered these six

about whether they will get even. You do this through strong disapproval, or withholding your
affection, or talking about them, or depriving them of something they want. You can hurt them
emotionally, perhaps even physically, and they know it. They behave differently in order to
avoid running afoul of you.

people like you and you like them. They have a caring or affection for you that you can build
upon, and vice versa. You have \u201ca place in your heart\u201d for them and that creates trust and
openness.

limited power of authority that comes with our temporary position, but it slips away as the project ends\u2014while our clients\u2019 permanent authority continues. Authority power is not the best power base for consultants.

others in that organization see us with them, we gain power by association. Our powers are
less than and related to theirs. For example, if we are associated with a person who others
see as manipulative, we will likely be seen as an instrument of that manipulation. If our
associate is highly respected, we will likely be respected too. Though these powers of
association are real for us, our power is dependent on others.

reward people with our time or attention; we can acknowledge them in large meetings.
Whatever we do, some of our actions will be seen as the exercise of reward power. When
you reward for someone for doing what you want, you encourage them to seek the reward
rather than your real goal. When a parent offers a child a quarter to take out the trash, the
child seeks the quarter\u2014and may take out the trash four times a day! Rewards are a
common power currency to be used wisely\u2014and not a primary source of consulting power..

know it or not. Our information about and our position with organizations is privileged. When
we use that information or our position to punish people, we jeopardize our standing. Our
success relies on gathering accurate information and establishing open, trusting relationships
with people. Punishment runs counter to what we are about. Granted, some of our actions
will be experienced as punishing since our work impacts people. Contracting clearly with
people about how we will use what we learn and how we will deal with them can reduce the
risks related to punishment power. This is not the kind of power to rely upon if you want to
work closely and successfully with others. And, using it encourages others to get even.