Why power makes people bolder

A sweeping review of more than 400 studies shows that power amplifies emotion — and whatever traits leaders already possess.

Power often announces itself in behavior: the person at the head of the table speaks first and moves decisively, while those below them tend to defer and tread carefully.

For years, the question has been why.

Psychologists long assumed that power alters how people think. But new evidence suggests emotion plays a bigger role: Power shifts how people feel, and those feelings are the stronger driver of behavior.

Testing a 20-year-old theory

In a nutshell, that is the core finding of a new meta-analysis led by Tyler Sabey, assistant professor in the department of management and entrepreneurship, which drew on more than 400 studies and nearly 270,000 participants.

Published in Psychological Bulletin late last year, it is the most thorough test yet of a 20-year-old theory that argues power shifts people toward rewards and opportunity, while low power increases attention to threats and caution.

Sabey says, "Before this paper, we commonly thought of power as more of a cognitive variable in our lives. And what we've found is that actually the emotional part of power is stronger than the cognitive side."

Emotion does the heavy lifting

In simple terms, power acts as an accelerator. When people feel powerful, they focus more on rewards, think more quickly, feel more positive emotions, and act more freely. When they feel powerless, they become more alert to danger and possible punishment.

But emotion appears to do more of the work than thought. "We feel more than we think," Sabey says. "That's not to say cognition doesn't matter. But in relation to power, emotion is the stronger driver for subsequent behaviors."

The numbers back this up. In the papers Sabey pored over, people with power tended to feel more positive emotions, such as pride, happiness, and gratitude. And the more power they had, the fewer negative emotions they felt.

On the other hand, people without power experienced more negative feelings: fear, nervousness, and distress.

From feeling to action

Those feelings then translated into behavior. Power was linked to bolder action — going after goals, asserting yourself, or acting more aggressively. Low power was associated with caution, such as staying quiet and holding back. Thinking, by contrast, played a smaller role.

The second key finding is about direction. Put simply, feeling powerful pushes people toward action and opportunity more strongly than feeling powerless pushes them toward caution. In particular, power increases people's focus on rewards more than it decreases their focus on threats.

In practice, however, that can mean more risk-taking. "People who feel powerful are more inclined to take risks," Sabey says. Power magnifies what is already there, which is why it can be both an advantage and a liability.

Sabey's review shows that power amplifies behavior in both directions. On the positive side, people with power are more likely to help others, speak up, and act boldly. On the negative side, the research links power to aggression, risky decision-making, and even sexual harassment.

"Power is like caffeine," he says. "It enhances or ignites what would normally be there."

Power magnifies what’s already there

For companies, the message is clear, if uncomfortable. Power does not automatically improve leaders. It magnifies what is already there.

"If you are selecting people who are more prone to these negative-type behaviors, giving them power will enhance that," Sabey says. "And if you select people and train people to promote these more positive and prosocial behaviors, then power will enhance those as well."

That increases the importance of hiring, culture, and oversight. "The best thing you can do right now," he adds, "is when giving employees power, either make sure you select the right people, or train these people to ensure that once power enhances these behaviors, they are more focused on the positive ones."

What leaders should take seriously

The findings are relevant in an era when decision-making authority is often concentrated at the top, even as companies talk about decentralization and empowerment.

Sabey's findings suggest both trends have consequences. In companies that seek to empower employees, leaders may see more initiative and people speaking up — but also a greater tendency toward bold, sometimes rash decisions.

At the other end of the hierarchy, roles with little power can foster anxiety and silence, making people more likely to hold back.

The unanswered question

The obvious question is how to harness the upside of power without unleashing its risks. Sabey is candid that the research does not yet provide a clear answer. "That's the black box of the study of power and leadership," he says.

The study's conclusion is measured but clear. Power intensifies behavior. Whether that produces better leadership or greater risk depends on who holds it.