The Science of Personal Power

Unlock the door to personal power, happiness, achievement, and strength in any situation

In The Science of Personal Power, renowned professor and persuasion expert Chris Lipp reveals how to bridge the science of inner well-being with the science of outer achievement by developing personal power—a concept that, when put into practice, is a panacea for both happiness and success. Unlike formal power, which focuses on authority and control, personal power is about how we feel about our own capability to create impact. When we feel big, we show up big, and when we show up big, we can change the world. This book offers a transformative approach to completely revamp every aspect of your life, starting with your present mindset and extending to long-term career advancement, financial success, and beyond.

• Enhanced Self-Confidence: Learn how to feel more capable and impactful in your daily life.
• Practical Tools for Success: Gain actionable strategies and tips to improve your personal and professional life.
• Increased Influence: Discover how to effectively influence others and drive positive change.

The Science of Personal Power combines research, data, and storytelling to help you understand foundational concepts related to psychology and business. It highlights counter-intuitive discoveries and reconciles conflicting findings to provide practical tips, strategies, and approaches to enhance personal power and influence others. This book is designed for anyone looking to rise above personal obstacles and societal barriers to become the most powerful version of themselves.

Ready to transform your life from the inside out? Tap into your personal power and start your journey towards happiness and success with The Science of Personal Power today.

Part I The Roots 1

Chapter 1 See the Water 3
What personal power is and why it matters to you

Chapter 2 Practice Courage 15
The psychology of personal power and how powerful people relate to the world

Part II Giving 41

Chapter 3 Add Value 43
Hierarchy and how personal power helps you rise to the top as the group flourishes

Chapter 4 Zoom Out 63
Copyrighted Material How personal power shapes your thoughts and words to convey leadership

Chapter 5 Ringlead 85
How personal power is used to navigate group power dynamics and coordinate teams

Part III Taking 109

Chapter 6 Set Boundaries 111
How personal power conveys self-respect through honoring yourself and your resources

Chapter 7 Find Your Bedrock 133
How personal power promotes self-direction to reduce stress and build confidence

Chapter 8 Speak Up 161
How personal power encourages self-expression and ensures your authentic voice is heard

Chapter 9 Epilogue 183
How your personal power impacts the world and makes a difference for everyone you meet

Acknowledgments 191

Notes 195

About the Author 225

Index 227

CHRIS LIPP trains thousands of individuals through his corporate workshops to promote change and rise up the corporate ranks. He is the author of three books on persuasion that move beyond the art of communication into modern-day science and application. He also serves as the director of management communication at Tulane University Freeman School of Business.

In The Science of Personal Power, renowned professor, author, and persuasion expert Chris Lipp reveals how to bridge the science of inner well-being with the science of outer achievement by developing personal power—a concept that, when put into practice, is a panacea for both happiness and success.

Unlike formal power, which focuses on authority and control, personal power is how we feel about our own capability to create impact. How we feel about ourselves is how we show up. When we feel big, we show up big. And when we show up big, we can change the world. By developing personal power, we have the opportunity to completely transform every aspect of our lives, starting with our present mindset and branching out into long-term career advancement, financial success, and beyond.

In Lipp’s signature style, this book combines the research, data, and storytelling needed to understand foundational concepts related to psychology and business. The book highlights counter-intuitive discoveries and reconciles ostensibly conflicting findings to provide practical tips, strategies, and approaches to enhance personal power and influence others.

The Science of Personal Power aims to create a movement where we tap into our power and radiate our power outward to empower others and drive large scale change. Infused with the capability to transform the world from the inside-out, we can move beyond the social dynamics that normally limit us. The book earns a well-deserved spot on the bookshelves of everyone looking to rise above personal obstacles and societal barriers to become the most powerful versions of ourselves.

PRAISE FOR
THE SCIENCE OF PERSONAL POWER

“If you want to hone and improve your communication, then this is a must-read. Once again, Chris Lipp provides actionable, science-based guidance to help you achieve success both in your career and personal life.”
—MATT ABRAHAMS, Author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter and Lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University

“Professor Lipp combines the findings of social psychology and observational anthropology to provide a spectacular roadmap to increasing your personal power, improving your physical and mental health, and jump-starting your joy of life. Lipp’s work is authoritative, insightful, and incredibly helpful.”
—JAMES S. O’ROURKE, IV, Professor of Management and Organization at the University of Notre Dame

“Chris provides a coherent and systematic approach that explains how—via our attitudes, actions, and language use—we can tap into our power to serve others and assert ourselves.”
—CRAIG R. SNOW, Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Management Communication at Cornell University

“Vignette after vignette, Lipp strips away the old definitions of personal power, replacing them with a richer, more malleable lexicon, with strategies and techniques any leader can use to rewrite their own version of personal power.”
—NATHINEE CHEN, Senior Associate Director and Lecturer, Communication Program at The Wharton School