This phenomenon is a manifestation of expert power. In this article, discover how to recognize and utilize your expert power, develop it from the ground up, and empower your team to discover their own expert power.

What is Expert Power?

Expert power is the authority and sway derived from possessing unique skills or expertise in a specific area that others find valuable. Individuals with expert power are typically held in high regard and trusted for their knowledge and skills, enabling them to shape decisions, directions, and behaviors within a group or organization.

Your expertise grants you trust and influence in various ways. 

For example, this study 1 found that the key factor for salespeople to win over customers’ trust is the customer’s perception of their expertise.

Here are a few instances to illustrate the concept:

• The intern with expertise in social media: In a conventional company not well-versed in social media, a young intern with a profound understanding of the unspoken norms of platforms like TikTok and Instagram would, even as an intern, wield expert power. They can impact the company’s marketing strategy and potentially bring significant changes to the brand’s online presence.
• Expert in communication and body language: If you excel at interpreting people’s signals and have a natural ability to understand body language and facial expressions, delve into studying body language cues and communication frameworks. Become the go-to person for advice on understanding people and interpreting cues. Join our communication master course: PRODUCT MARKET FIT.
• IT specialist with cybersecurity expertise: Within a team of IT professionals, an individual with extensive knowledge in cybersecurity, a specialization not all IT experts may have, can exert expert power. This specialist may influence decisions related to data protection measures, network configurations, and responses to security threats, potentially holding more power than their peers.
• Project manager with cross-cultural competence: A project manager’s expert power in a multinational company can stem from their proficiency in multiple languages and understanding of cultural norms. This competence significantly impacts team structuring, communication, and conflict resolution in global projects, making them a valuable resource with expert power.

   

How to Harness the Expertise You Already Possess

It’s quite probable that you possess a certain degree of expert power in your professional environment, even if you’re not fully aware of it. Let’s explore how to recognize and capitalize on your expert power. 

To begin with, pinpointing your expert power is essential. Gain a precise understanding of areas where you hold expertise by following these steps:

• Evaluate your skills and knowledge that directly align with your role: Examine the unique or highly specialized contributions you bring to the table. This may include technical expertise, industry insights, or soft skills like negotiation or emotional intelligence. Consider your role—do you excel in it compared to others?

Action Step: Enumerate 10 skill sets and areas of knowledge pertinent to your job description in which you excel

• Evaluate skills and knowledge beyond the scope of your current role: Let’s think outside the box to uncover your expert power. What are areas where you excel or possess expertise that diverges from your job description? Perhaps you’re fluent in Dutch or deeply engaged in activist issues. While not all your talents may directly contribute to expert power in your job, some could pleasantly surprise you.

This study 2 suggests that for managers, general knowledge of their professional core increases their power most. On the flip side, the profound comprehension of peripheral domains by salaried workers, like an architect well-versed in engineering, enhances their influence.

Action Step: Enumerate 10 skills you possess, irrespective of their direct relevance to your job, which your colleagues may not commonly possess

• Consider feedback carefully: Take note of the feedback you receive from others. If people frequently turn to you for advice on certain subjects, it’s a signal that you may possess expert power in that area. Are your negotiation skills consistently praised? Perhaps others admire your approach to problem-solving. To gain more insights, you can directly inquire with your boss and teammates about what they believe sets you apart.

Action Step: Initiate a feedback gathering process by reaching out to your boss and three colleagues for positive insights. This can be done via email or in-person. You might phrase it as, “I’m working on understanding my strengths and expertise better. Could you share your thoughts on what you believe I excel at uniquely or any distinctive expertise I could leverage more effectively?”

If social skills are your perceived expertise or an area you wish to specialize in, you might find this free resource valuable:

Moving forward, review the skills list mentioned earlier. Identify any patterns or standout items. Once you pinpoint one or two key skills, contemplate the following steps:

• Establish yourself as a valuable resource: Once you’ve pinpointed your area of expertise, actively communicate it. Extend offers of assistance, share advice, and contribute your insights whenever applicable.

Action Step: Push yourself to aid your colleagues within your area of expertise three times this week. For instance, if your company recently entered the Dutch market, and you possess Dutch heritage and fluency, incorporate something like, “If you ever need insights on how this would resonate with a Dutch consumer, feel free to reach out—I’m more than willing to assist.”

• Disseminate your expertise: Drawing from a personal example, my partner was employed at a marketing agency where a coworker identified his expert power in productivity. Taking initiative, he proposed providing free productivity coaching sessions to interested colleagues, essentially creating a new, unpaid role for himself. This not only allowed him to share his wisdom but also solidified his standing as an authority in productivity within the company. 

Action Step: Choose a method to share your expertise:

1. Compose an article for the company
2. Provide complimentary training sessions for your colleagues
3. Extend free coaching sessions to your colleagues
4. Embrace ongoing learning: Expert power may diminish if your knowledge becomes obsolete. Stay engaged in continuous learning, stay abreast of industry trends, and consistently expand your expertise to maintain your authoritative standing.

Take an IT manager with expert power in traditional data management, for instance. As cloud computing and AI become dominant forces, this manager must evolve and adapt their knowledge base to stay relevant.

Action Step: Select a book or course within your expertise and delve one level deeper. Expand your understanding and refine your knowledge to enhance your proficiency in the chosen subject.

How to Gain Expert Power From Scratch

If you went through the earlier section on identifying your expert power and found it challenging, don’t fret. You can begin anew and build expert power in your chosen area with these straightforward steps.

• Discover your niche: Select a field, subject, or skill set that aligns with both your interests and your organization’s requirements. Ensure it’s something you genuinely enjoy; otherwise, the motivation to learn will be harder to sustain. Additionally, verify that it’s a skill your company or industry would find beneficial. Prioritize skills that have future relevance; for instance, learning web development might be more advantageous than mastering a video game like Fortnite.

Action Step: Enumerate 5 skills you’d be eager to acquire if time were limitless. 

Subsequently, outline five skills you believe would enhance your workplace value. Then, identify five skills you think will be universally valuable in jobs a decade from now. Afterward, either choose one from these lists or continue brainstorming until you find a skill that resonates as a “yes.”

If assistance is required, consider seeking support and guidance from your manager.

• Embark on educational and training endeavors: Now comes the enjoyable part—learning! Engage in pertinent courses, certifications, or degrees. Participate in workshops, seminars, and conferences to enhance your knowledge and skills.

Acquiring expert knowledge isn’t as daunting as it may seem. Business guru Seth Godin 3 puts forth a compelling point:

Dedicating 100 hours to acquiring a rare skill is often sufficient for mastery. Imagine being able to sharpen a tool surpassing your peers, optimize a high-performance database, decipher the intricacies of a cryptography sector, create an impressive WordPress site, or grasp the trajectory of a specific writer’s career. In these cases, you’d possess something valuable—attainable by anyone committed enough to invest 100 hours, yet pursued only by those who choose to make the commitment.

Action Step: Once you’ve identified your skill, select your initial learning path—be it through a book, a course, or a workshop. Proceed to take that crucial first step.

• Construct a learning plan: Allocating 100 hours to distinguish yourself from your peers and pave the way to expert knowledge is a manageable undertaking. While the number might seem significant enough to deter some, it’s a feasible commitment. 

Action Step: Establish a learning plan for your chosen skill. Consider whether you prefer dedicating 2 hours per week over the next year or adopting a more intensive approach by investing 25 hours a week for the next month. Tailor the plan to align with your schedule and preferred learning style.

• Prepare yourself for the dip: Seth Godin also talks about a phenomenon called “the dip 4,” when we want to quit our endeavor because it’s too tough. Choosing something you genuinely enjoy is beneficial because your inherent enjoyment serves as a powerful motivator to navigate through any challenges. Acknowledge that there will be difficult moments, and proactively plan for them.

Action Step: Articulate your “why.” Define why you want to acquire this skill and the benefits it will bring. Clarify why the effort will be worthwhile. When you inevitably face challenges, refer to your “why” statement as a source of motivation to rekindle your determination.

How a Leader Can Help Others Find Their Expert Power

As a team leader, you hold a distinctive role in fostering the development of expert power among your team members. This necessitates adopting an encouraging attitude and implementing some of these tips.

• Recognize their strengths and interests: Start by gaining clarity on the expertise present within your team members. Identify their talents, passions, and areas where they can excel. Many individuals possess remarkable skills and knowledge but may lack self-belief. As a leader, you could assist a copywriter in recognizing their talent for storytelling, urging them to specialize in brand narrative development.

   

• Alternatively, a project coordinator’s passion for data could be channeled towards becoming an analytics and performance tracking expert. You might also observe a programmer’s interest in UI/UX design, opening up new avenues for exploration.

Action Step: Allocate a few moments to reflect on the following questions for each team member:

1. What is this person uniquely proficient at?
2. In which skillset or knowledge base does this person possess a distinct expertise?
3. If this person were to lead a workshop, what topic would be the most fitting and beneficial?

• Assist them in defining their area of expertise: The most effective way for someone to harness their expert knowledge is by first recognizing what it entails. You can play a significant role in enhancing their self-awareness and empowerment. As a bonus, strengths-based feedback 5 increases employee engagement, motivation, and job satisfaction.

Action Step:In your upcoming one-on-one session with a team member, delve into the topic of expert power. Explore how they perceive their own expertise, discuss potential areas for growth, and encourage them to recognize the value they bring to the team through their unique skills and knowledge.

1. Share your observations about their strengths and skills derived from the earlier brainstorming. 
2. Encourage them to articulate what they believe they have expertise in, fostering a sense of self-awareness.
3. Collaborate to brainstorm strategies and opportunities that can propel them further in excelling within their recognized areas of expertise.

    

• Support ongoing education: Allocate funds in your budget to encourage continuous learning. Advocate for or propose to the budget decision-makers to sponsor extended education opportunities for your team members. Recognize that the more they learn, the greater their expert power will become, contributing to increased effectiveness in their roles.

According to a massive survey by Linkedin 6, 94% of employees would stay longer at a company that invests in their professional development.

Action Step: Calculate the amount you wish to invest in each team member’s education and prepare a persuasive pitch for the budget manager. Highlight the potential benefits, emphasizing how this investment will enhance their expertise and contribute to improved performance within the team.

• Encourage knowledge sharing: Cultivate a team culture that values sharing expertise. Motivate team members to conduct presentations, lead workshops, or mentor colleagues in their areas of expertise. Building a strengths-based team enhances the promotion of expert power across the board. 

Action Step: Institute a weekly 15-minute meeting where each team member has the opportunity to present on a topic they are knowledgeable about. This regular forum allows for the sharing of expertise and promotes a collaborative learning environment within the team.

Where the Term “Expert Power” Came From

“Expert power” is one of the types of social power identified in the 1959 study by social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven 7. 

French and Raven’s original research outlined five types of power, later adding a sixth. Here are the additional power categories:

Reward Power: This form involves managing desired resources. For instance, a supervisor offering a promotion or flexible schedule to an employee excelling in task efficiency.

Coercive Power: In contrast to reward power, coercive power involves the ability to punish or impose negative consequences. For example, a manager threatening demotion if performance doesn’t improve by a specified deadline.

Legitimate Power: This is the formal authority derived from election, appointment, or holding a specific position.

Referent Power: Originating from admiration or respect, it often accompanies charismatic leadership, influencing others due to personal likability or identification.

Informational Power: This form pertains to control over valuable information. Consider a data analyst with exclusive access to company metrics, using this data to inform strategic decisions.

It’s crucial to note that these power types are not mutually exclusive, and an individual can possess multiple forms simultaneously.  

Frequently Asked Questions About Expert Power

Why does expert power hold significance?

Expert power is significant as it empowers individuals to sway decisions and behaviors within an organization based on their distinct skills and specialized knowledge.

What characterizes expert power in the workplace?

Expert power in the workplace denotes the influence an individual gains from their valued, unique, or highly specialized skills and knowledge.

How is expert power manifested in leadership?

In a leadership capacity, expert power signifies the influence a leader wields over their team or organization, stemming from their distinctive knowledge, skills, or expertise in a specific area—a skill among many that leaders can develop.

Can you provide instances of expert power?

Examples of expert power include an intern with social media expertise influencing a company’s online marketing strategy or a bilingual employee guiding a company’s expansion into new international markets.

How can one enhance expert power?

To enhance expert power, individuals can consistently update their knowledge and skills, position themselves as valuable resources, share their expertise, and actively recognize and nurture their unique strengths and interests.

What distinguishes expert power’s advantages?

The advantage of expert power lies in establishing an individual as a valued resource within a group or organization, leading to heightened influence, trust, and credibility among both peers and superiors. The benefits of expert power extend to both the expert and the organization.

When is it appropriate to leverage expert power?

Expert power should be employed whenever an individual’s unique skills, knowledge, or expertise can contribute to improved decision-making, problem-solving, or strategic planning within a group or organization.

Takeaways on Expert Power

Expert power emerges when you possess in-depth knowledge of a specific skill set. However, some individuals may have this power but haven’t fully utilized it. 

To pinpoint areas where your untapped expert power may lie, consider the following:

• Evaluate your job-related skills by compiling a list of 10 strengths and skills you possess.
• Evaluate skills not directly tied to your job by creating a separate list of 10 skills you have outside of work.
• Gain insights into your skills through feedback; inquire with your boss and colleagues about their perceptions of your unique skills and knowledge.

Once you’ve identified your area of expertise, you can capitalize on it by:

• Positioning yourself as a resource, actively offering your skills to assist others whenever possible.
• Sharing your knowledge through avenues like writing articles, conducting training sessions, or providing free coaching within your skillset.
• Continuously enhancing your learning to ensure your skill set continually strengthens and evolves.

Acquiring additional expert skills is straightforward. Just follow these steps:

• Identify your niche by brainstorming skills aligned with your interests, those beneficial for your company, and those gaining relevance over time.
• Invest in education—enjoy the process! Select a book or training that excites you.
• Develop a learning plan by determining the pace at which you want to acquire the new skill.
• Anticipate the challenging moments by articulating why you want to learn this skill. Revisit this manifesto during tough times to rekindle your motivation.

If you’re a leader aiming to empower your team members to cultivate their expert power, consider these steps:

• Brainstorm the strengths and interests of your team members.
• Assist them in defining their area of expertise during your next 1-on-1 by sharing what you perceive as their unique skills and inviting their thoughts on their strengths.
• Sponsor trainings for your employees to enhance their skills and knowledge, fostering increased proficiency.
• Cultivate a work culture centered on knowledge sharing by providing opportunities for various employees to showcase their expertise.

Indeed! Best of luck on your journey as you work towards cultivating your expert power or supporting others in their development. If you ever need advice or a friendly chat along the way, feel free to reach out!

If you are interested in learning more about power and how to attain different kinds of power, then you may enjoy PRODUCT MARKET FIT.

1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3150896?origin=crossref 
2. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/009392857961005 
3. https://seths.blog/2020/07/the-100-hour-asset/ 
4. https://seths.blog/2013/08/qa-the-dip-and-knowing-when-to-quit/ 
5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251550792_Delivering_effective_performance_feedback_The_strengths-based_approach 
6. https://learning.linkedin.com/resources/workplace-learning-report-2018?src=li-scin&veh=7010d000001BicLAASv2&cid=7010d000001BicLAAS&bf=1
7. https://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1312&context=jvbl#:~:text=The%20five%20power%20dynamics%20(or,both%20the%20influencee%20and%20influencer.