Power & Influence

When This Skill Activates

Claude uses this skill when:

• Need buy-in from multiple stakeholders
• Navigating organizational politics
• Building influence without authority
• Managing up effectively

Core Frameworks

1. Sources of Power (Source: Jeffrey Pfeffer)

7 Sources:

1. Expertise – Being the expert
2. Resources – Controlling budget/headcount
3. Relationships – Network and connections
4. Information – Knowing what others don’t
5. Position – Formal authority
6. Charisma – Personal magnetism
7. Will – Persistence and determination

2. Building Political Capital

The Approach:

1. Map power structure
   - Who decides?
   - Who influences decisions?
   - Who controls resources?

2. Build relationships
   - Help others succeed
   - Offer expertise
   - Share credit

3. Accumulate wins
   - Start with small wins
   - Build reputation
   - Expand influence

Action Templates

Template: Stakeholder Mapping

# Stakeholder Map: [Initiative]

## Decision Makers
- **Name:** [role]
  - Power level: [High/Medium/Low]
  - Support: [For/Against/Neutral]
  - Concerns: [list]
  - Approach: [how to influence]

## Influencers
- **Name:** [role]
  - Influences: [who]
  - Cares about: [what]
  - Approach: [strategy]

## Coalition Building
- **Early supporters:** [list]
- **Fence-sitters:** [list]
- **Opposition:** [list]

## Action Plan
1. Build coalition with: [names]
2. Address concerns of: [names]
3. Pre-meetings with: [names]
4. Present when: [timing]

Quick Reference

🤝 Influence Checklist

Preparation:

• Map power structure
• Identify stakeholders
• Understand motivations
• Build coalition

Execution:

• Pre-meetings (surface concerns)
• Customized pitches (per stakeholder)
• Data + story (logic + emotion)
• Build momentum (early wins)

Key Quotes

Jeffrey Pfeffer:

“Power is the ability to get things done. If you want to make an impact, you need to understand power.”

On Building Influence:

“The most successful people build their political capital before they need it.”