Power Imbalance: Navigating Upward, Downward, and Across

Power in leadership is rarely distributed evenly. Every organization, team, and relationship contains layers of influence that shift depending on position, context, and perception. Some leaders command authority but lack trust. Others hold deep credibility yet little formal control. These disparities create power imbalances — the subtle, often invisible forces that shape how decisions are made, voices are heard, and conflicts are resolved.

Great leaders don’t ignore power imbalances; they navigate them. They learn to lead upward with courage, downward with empathy, and across with collaboration. They recognize that every direction demands a different kind of power — and that influence must be adapted, not assumed.

The Story of a Leader Navigating the Layers

Arjun was promoted to manage a cross-functional team while still reporting to senior executives who didn’t fully buy into his vision. He quickly realized he faced three leadership challenges: earning credibility with executives above him, building trust with direct reports below, and influencing peers without authority.

Early on, he overplayed authority downward, tightening control to prove his competence. The result was resistance. He underplayed influence upward, avoiding pushback with senior leaders and losing strategic visibility. Across peers, he struggled to gain traction without overstepping boundaries.

With time, Arjun recalibrated. He practiced managing up by anticipating his leaders’ needs and communicating with clarity. He led downward by empowering rather than controlling. He influenced across by building alliances rooted in mutual respect. By addressing power imbalances consciously, he turned positional friction into relational strength.

The Nature of Power Imbalance

Power imbalance occurs whenever one party holds greater formal authority, access, or influence than another. It is not inherently negative — every structure requires some hierarchy — but unexamined imbalance can distort communication and breed mistrust.

In organizations, power flows in three directions:

• Upward — Leaders must influence those with greater authority, shaping vision through insight, reliability, and strategic partnership.

• Downward — Leaders guide those who depend on them, using authority with fairness, clarity, and empathy.

• Across — Leaders collaborate with peers where power is often shared or contested, requiring persuasion, diplomacy, and trust.

The ability to shift styles across these dynamics defines mature leadership.

Why Managing Power Imbalance Matters

Unchecked imbalances create silence, fear, and disengagement. Teams under domineering leadership stop sharing ideas. Peers who feel undermined withdraw support. Executives who face passive subordinates lose valuable insight.

Leaders who understand and adjust to imbalance create alignment. They listen more where their power is greatest and speak more where their influence is weakest. They use authority to protect, not intimidate, and employ humility to access perspectives beyond their reach.

Barriers to Navigating Power Imbalance

Common pitfalls include:

• Overconfidence downward — Using authority to command rather than empower.

• Timidity upward — Avoiding honest feedback or advocacy with senior leaders.

• Competition across — Viewing peers as rivals instead of collaborators.

• Blind spots — Failing to see how one’s presence shapes others’ behavior.

Leaders must cultivate awareness — noticing who speaks freely and who withholds, where they dominate and where they defer.

Case Studies in Navigating Power Imbalance

• Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo, mastered upward and downward leadership. She regularly wrote personal letters to employees’ families, balancing authority with care, while also managing a board with conviction and foresight.

• Sheryl Sandberg exemplified cross-directional influence at Facebook, bridging power between visionary founder Mark Zuckerberg and operational teams. Her role demanded humility upward and empowerment downward.

• Elizabeth Holmes at Theranos exemplified the dangers of imbalance. Centralizing absolute control while silencing dissent led to ethical collapse and organizational failure.

Practical Moves for Navigating Power

Leaders can correct imbalances with intentional practice:

• Upward — Anticipate needs, offer solutions, and communicate truth with respect. Influence senior leaders by being reliable and strategically insightful.

• Downward — Lead with fairness and clarity. Invite input, share reasoning, and empower ownership. Authority used for growth builds loyalty.

• Across — Build alliances, share credit, and frame collaboration as mutual gain. Respect autonomy while aligning around shared goals.

• Self-awareness — Observe how your title, tone, and presence affect dynamics. Adjust power consciously, not unconsciously.

Power awareness turns hierarchy from a barrier into a tool for alignment.

Questions for Reflection

Where do you currently hold the most power, and how are you using it?Which direction — upward, downward, or across — challenges you most?What behaviors signal that others feel intimidated or unheard in your presence?

Actionable Exercise

Map your three spheres of influence: your leaders, your team, and your peers. For each, identify one relationship where imbalance hinders trust or communication. Take one step this week to rebalance it — share feedback upward, delegate downward, or offer support across.

Closing Thoughts

Power imbalance is inevitable; misuse is not. Great leaders read the flow of influence like skilled navigators, adjusting presence, tone, and strategy in every direction. They don’t hoard power — they harmonize it. The goal is not equality in every moment, but equity in every relationship, ensuring that authority and voice work together to serve the mission, not the ego.