No Title Required

The most common image of power? A pyramid or ladder, where those on the lower rungs look up, waiting to be asked, promoted, or invited. It’s easy to shrink in the face of someone else’s authority, hesitant to speak, unsure if we belong at the table.

But using power well means using it at every level, not just at the top. Managing up, building strong relationships with those in authority, requires courage, self-respect, and a strong inner sense of power.

Consider this

Frances Hesselbein began as a volunteer Girl Scout troop leader in a small Pennsylvania town. She had no formal training, no national title. But she had a vision. She believed the Girl Scouts could be more inclusive, more modern, and better aligned with the changing world girls were growing up in.

Rather than stay silent, she spoke up. She gave feedback, offered ideas, and reached out to regional and national leaders. And they listened. Her thoughtful engagement led to a series of leadership opportunities. Eventually, Hesselbein became CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA, transforming it into one of the most respected nonprofits in the country.

She didn’t wait her turn but used her voice and shared her vision, even before it was “her role” to do so.

Putting it into Play

It’s easy to fall into a false binary when it comes to authority: defer or challenge. But real collaboration requires stepping into your own sense of power, seeing yourself as a partner in shared purpose, not just a passive recipient of directives.

To do that, you have to believe your voice matters. That you have a right to ask questions, initiate conversations, and share your insights even when it feels risky. Not to disrupt, but to contribute. Because you see something your boss might not.

When you over-elevate authority, assuming they have all the answers, or when you doubt your worth, you risk silencing yourself. You may tell yourself: “They don’t care.” “My voice won’t matter.” But in doing so, you create the very thing you fear: invisibility, exclusion, irrelevance.

Power isn’t just about position. It begins with how we see ourselves. Working well with authority starts by remembering: your perspective matters, and you have something valuable to offer.