Power, for All

How It Really Works and Why It's Everyone's Business

By: Julie Battilana, Tiziana Casciaro

Narrated by: Samantha Desz

Discover how to gain (and keep) power in any situation with this “remarkably insightful read on what power is, how it’s gained, and how it can be used for good” (Adam Grant, bestselling author of Think Again).

Power is one of the most misunderstood—and therefore vilified—concepts in our society. Many assume power is predetermined by personality or wealth, or that it’s gained by strong-arming others. You might even write it off as “dirty” and want nothing to do with it. But by staying away from power, you give it up to someone else who may not have your best interest in mind. We must understand and use our power to have impact, and pioneering researchers Julie Battilana and Tiziana Casciaro provide the playbook for doing so in Power, for All.

Battilana and Casciaro offer a “necessary” (Tarana Burke, creator of the #MeToo movement and bestselling author of Unbound) and “invaluable” (David Gergen, CNN political analyst) vision of power: the ability to influence someone else’s behavior. This influence is derived from having access to valued resources, and once you understand what those are, you can take action to improve life for yourself and others.

With proven strategies of agitating, innovating, and orchestrating change, Power, for All shows how those with less power can challenge established structures to make them more balanced. The authors teach you how to power-map your workplace to find who can create real change at work, plan for and cause sustaining shifts, and understand the two basic needs all human beings share—safety and self-esteem—and the resources people seek to satisfy those needs: money and status, but also autonomy, achievement, affiliation, and mortality. They explore how these dynamics play out through vivid storytelling: as Donatella Versace successfully leads her brother’s company after his death—despite having a title, but little influence; what social movements can learn from youth climate activists and how they can go farther; and how a manager can gain the trust of skeptical employees and improve the workplace.

Power, for All demystifies the essential mechanisms for acquiring and using power for all people.

Powerful

A clear eyed and clearly articulated account I have a better way of framing, cultivating, and sharing power. Highly recommended.

Great food for thought

I listened to most of the book while on a road trip with the family. Both my partner and I occasionally face challenges trying to drive change for good. We both got new ideas and perspectives from this book. It led to interesting discussions.

Informative and Instructional

The authors are honest about their bent toward relationship-centric power sharing. I love this book because it paints an evenhanded picture of power acquisition and offers research supported strategies for harnessing that power for good.

Outstanding!

Amazing book by an amazing professor... there is much to be learned in this book!