One thing is for certain, whatever twists and turns your professional story takes, the constant factor is you.
Capabilities, skills, experience.
The power you have goes with you everywhere.
Forget job titles and always being the cleverest person in the room, this is your Portable Personal Power.
What I mean by Portable Personal Power (PPP) is…
… your ability or capacity to be your best; to positively influence the behaviour of others or the course of events; regardless of the situation
At its core, PPP is how you see, learn from, navigate and interact with the world around you.
Why PPP Matters
Change is a natural: And an important part of all our lives. It may be planned or unexpected. It may be gradual. And, if 2020 is anything to go by, it can bloomin sudden!
The ability to deal with change, to initiate it and make the best of what may appear to be a bad situation is what PPP is all about. Strength and resilience today and tomorrow regardless of what’s round the corner.
Smoke and mirrors: Once upon a time (well, still happens today) the ‘powers-that-be’ decreed, “thou shalt be seen to have abundant power by your position in an organisation and by your job title. Status and structure is your route to power”. In his book, Power at Work, Jo Owen refers to this as Formal Power and it is the one which most of us will have experienced and understand.
Interestingly, having Formal Power doesn’t necessarily mean you have PPP. Being able to navigate the hierarchy and politics of organisations are important skills but on their own can lead to building a career and apparent success on a foundation of sand. Status and a flashy job title without PPP result in weak leadership, toxic cultures and personal anxiety.
Guru in a box: While reading Jo Owen’s book I also happened upon his term guru in a box and it struck a chord. Especially in relation to my dim-n-distant past. Oh, how hard I worked not to become one! And succeeded by the way 🙂
What he is referring to is Expert Power. This is power based on specialist knowledge or functional expertise. Although this may be how you start your career or business, it is not enough. If you let it, striving for Expert Power alone can limit you and potentially reduce your PPP.
Career opportunities and the ability to embrace change come for those who use their technical expertise as a spring board to develop from not a safety blanket to hide behind.
Tips for Creating PPP
Not wanting to sound too wishy-washy about it, we all find our own path to creating Portable Personal Power. Everyone’s different after all.
When it comes to your career development, The Innovate Approach has PPP at it’s heart…
OPEN: Adopting a creative mindset and building your creative confidence are fundamental to PPP.
EXPLORE: Looking beyond what you know and being constantly curious help develop PPP.
DISCOVER: Understanding your capabilities better and seeing yourself as a value creator fuel PPP.
ENGAGE: Improving communication skills to extend reach and influence create and sustain PPP.
4 Top Tips
- Invest in your own professional development
- Remember change is inevitable and you’re allowed to initiate it
- Move into action once you’ve decided to do something
- Forget failure; it’s an experiment that gave unexpected results; it’s a chance to learn
Portable Personal Power enables you to be your best whatever you do, wherever you go.
Nurture it, value it and help others to invest in theirs too.
In the words of Abdul-Rehman Malik, “becoming better versions of ourselves makes us better able to navigate the challenges thrown at us.”
Career Energiser 
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