How to Cultivate Your “Personal Power” as a Leader

How to Cultivate Your “Personal Power” as a Leader

From HBR On Leadership by Harvard Business Review

June 3, 2026 · 26 min · Episode 164

About this episode

Chris Lipp discusses the concept of 'personal power' in leadership, emphasizing its roots in internal values rather than hierarchical status.

We all know the stereotypes of leaders who use charisma, manipulation, domineering behavior, or their status in the hierarchy to exert control. But there is another type of leader whose power isn’t necessarily related to their position on the org chart. Chris Lipp has spent years studying people who’ve developed this “personal power” that is rooted in their internal values. Lipp is a professor at Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business, an executive coach, and the author of the book The Science of Personal Power. He’s investigated where this second type of power comes from and how to tap into it using some simple strategies and tools.

People in this episode

Guest: Chris Lipp

Topics covered

  • personal power
  • leadership
  • internal values
  • executive coaching
  • strategies for leaders

Keywords

  • leadership
  • personal power
  • charisma
  • manipulation
  • executive coach
  • strategies
  • Tulane University

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Tulane University

Books & works: The Science of Personal Power

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