Mapping Power & Influence (Who Matters and Why)

Mapping Power & Influence (Who Matters and Why)

Purpose of This Lesson

To help you see power clearly, not emotionally.

Power Is Not Always Visible

The loudest person in the meeting is often not the most powerful.

Real power can come from:

• Audit reports
• Compliance authority
• Control of budget release
• Influence over leadership trust

You must learn to read signals, not titles.

Common Power Signals

Strong influence indicators:

• “This will come up in the audit”
• “Management will ask about this”
• “We had findings last year”
• “We need to justify this internally”

Weak influence indicators:

• “Just send us information”
• “We are exploring options”
• “IT will decide”

Simple Power Mapping (Practical)

After any meeting, you should be able to answer:

• Who cares the most?
• Who fears consequences?
• Who can delay the deal?
• Who can accelerate it?

If you can’t answer these, you are not in control.