HBR IdeaCast: How to Cultivate Your “Personal Power” as a Leader

Chris Lipp, professor of practice and director of Management Communication, was interviewed on HBR's IdeaCast podcast about his research on how leaders develop and display what Lipp refers to as personal power, a type of authority that flows from one's belief in their ability to create impact.

A sense of control is part of what's power. By taking responsibility, what you communicate implicitly is that you have control over the situation. Now you might've made a mistake, but it's within your power to correct. Whereas if you blame or if you do not take responsibility, what we're communicating implicitly to the audience is I had no control over that situation.

To hear the podcast in its entirety, visit hbr.com:

https://hbr.org/podcast/2026/06/how-to-cultivate-your-personal-power-as-a-leader