Mapping Your Power
Power is not limited to titles, money, or hierarchy. It can come from credibility, relationships, lived experience, identity or even cultural influence. Each of us sits at the centre of overlapping circles — family, friends, colleagues, clients, communities, and online networks. Every interaction, decision, or message in those spaces shapes culture — often more than we realise.
There are many ways to describe power — movements, academics, and organisations all use different models.
We understand and talk about power across four dimensions:
Resource power — spending and investment influence
Reputational power — voice, reach, platforms and expertise
Relational power — networks and trust relationships
Positional power — decision-making and policy influence
This exercise helps you see where your influence already exists and how you can use it with intention.
Seeing Power Differently
Power lives in every space where your actions influence others. Think about the circles around you:
- Colleagues or employees
- Clients or customers
- Industry or sector
- Family or friends
- Cultural or religious networks
- Community and interest groups
Exercise: Circles of Influence
Grab a piece of paper and write your name or brand at the centre of the page. Around that, sketch circles representing the groups above, or others that apply to you. Then, in each circle, write down the number of people or organisations that come to mind within that circle. Just a number first.
From there, think about relationships or roles you hold within those circles where you have influence. It might help to reflect back on the different forms of power/influence we talk about at the start of this worksheet.
Jot down any names – people or organisations that jump out at you and jot down some examples of the power and influence you hold. Perhaps it’s a position of authority you hold at work that allows you to make certain hiring decisions. A network you are a part of that lets you share things in a newsletter, or a person you are friends with that always shares what you post.
Reach + Influence
Every one of your circles carries a mix of reach and influence.
Reach → How many people you can connect with or be seen by.
Influence → How much ability you have to shape outcomes or decisions.
Exercise: Mapping Your Influence
On a blank page, plot your circles or specific spaces using these axes:
Prompts:
Where do you currently have high influence but narrow reach?
Where do you have wide reach but lower influence?
Which of these spaces feels most important for the change you want to create?
Where Do You Hold Power Now?
Reflection Questions:
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In which of your circles (personal, professional, community, digital) do you feel the most influence right now?
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Where do you have reach but wish you had more impact?
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What relationships or roles help you create the most meaningful change? It could be roles shaped by identity – caregiver, elder sibling, organiser, storyteller – these also count.
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Where are your “quiet power” zones — places where your consistency, care, or credibility speak loudest? Quiet power often thrives in marginalised spaces where trust is the true currency
What is Quiet Power?
Quiet power is the strength found in introversion, self-control, and thoughtfulness, allowing individuals to lead, influence, and create change through deep listening, empathy, and impactful, intentional actions rather than dominance or noise. Quiet power redefines strength and influence through the lens of inner depth, strategic silence, and authentic presence, making it a valuable asset in leadership, work, and life.
Look back at your circles now, and think about where you may hold quiet power.
From Awareness to Action
The goal with mapping your power is to focus your energy where reach and influence overlap most powerfully. Using your power intentionally and ethically means lifting others, sharing platforms and visibility, leveraging your privilege and access to spaces and resources and creating pathways for those excluded by dominant norms and systems.
Action Prompts:
What’s one space where a small shift in how you show up could make a big difference?
What one relationship or network could you invest more time in to amplify your impact?
What’s one action this week that reflects how you want to use your power?
Keep Going
If you enjoyed this reflection, explore:
Article: How Small Acts Become Movements
