The 3 Types of Power

A concise framework for understanding the three types of power in tech organizations: expertise power (knowledge-based influence), relational power (relationship-based influence), and role power (authority-based influence). New technical leads often struggle because they lack role power, while new managers may over-rely on it. The post argues that frequently using role power in tech companies is a sign of failure — good managers should primarily leverage expertise and relational power to get things done.