Psychology

Acting with Power: Why We Are More Powerful than We Believe

Acting with Power: Why We Are More Powerful than We Believe

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  • Create Date：2022-09-26 09:53:55
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Deborah Gruenfeld
  • ISBN：1788164954
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Summary

An eye-opening exploration of power and how we can harness it using performance techniques borrowed from actors。

What if instead of worrying about getting more power， we focus on using the power we do have better？

Stanford business professor Deborah Gruenfeld combines 25 years of social psychology research with personal experience to reveal the truth about power: that we all have more than we realise and what counts is what we do with it。

Acting with Power shows anyone seeking greater professional and academic success what power is actually for， how to identify it within ourselves， and how to use it constructively using acting techniques。

Some of us crave a bigger role， and many of us feel like imposters in our current ones。 Acting with Power shows us how to be the best version of ourselves in any role， on any stage。

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Reviews

Madelein Smit ，

An inspiring read about playing power up or down depending on the circumstances。

Ulzeta ，

A fun read。 Highly recommended！

Yan ，

阅读中文版：停止扮演受害者的角色。偏见很大程度上来自表演角色的固化。你拥有的权力比你想象的多，拿回自己人生的方向盘。

Yama Chen ，

I don’t think the author really understand what’s power。 I strongly recommend another older book ‘’Power：Why Some People Have It and Others Don’t‘’。

Sharfaddeen Ilah ，

We are all actors in our own scripted movie（s）。 Sometimes we act our powers up and in others we play it down， just to suit the specific role （situation）。 The book draws from a lot of experiences from the authors' world （Academia）。 I believe this to be largely the reason why I enjoyed the book。 Otherwise would have rated it lower than the 3stars， to maybe 2。5 or even 2stars。 A considerable number of these experiences have other lessons to draw from asides that of power， the central theme of the t We are all actors in our own scripted movie（s）。 Sometimes we act our powers up and in others we play it down， just to suit the specific role （situation）。 The book draws from a lot of experiences from the authors' world （Academia）。 I believe this to be largely the reason why I enjoyed the book。 Otherwise would have rated it lower than the 3stars， to maybe 2。5 or even 2stars。 A considerable number of these experiences have other lessons to draw from asides that of power， the central theme of the text。 The chapter on bullying was quite interesting too。 Especially that we believe it's something that happens only amongst little children。 Many practical solutions have been proposed on how to handle despots when personally abused or when a colleague is being bullied in your presence。 Will surely recommend it to every new employee or even the old ones， especially those facing difficulties at the hands of their co-workers or their boss。 The 'Oga at the top' as we fondly say in Nigeria whenever referring to the most senior person in control of the work environment。 Overall， it is a good read。 Good ROI 📚😁Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 。。。more

Liz Darling ，

I found my interest flagging a bit in the middle of this book， but was glad I stuck with it as I found the content in the final two chapters （about using power to benefit others） to be of greatest interest to me。

GingerOrange ，

It was okay。I liked the overall message the author was conveying。 And she did put forth an idea of power that I’ve never come across before。 So that was interesting。 But I have to admit that I got a little lost in the jargon at times。 Especially the beginning bits。 Overall， a new look on power。 But a little confusing for me。

Yuki ，

First of all， I realised the Japanese translation of "power" is difficult。 When I saw the Japanese title， I took it about some kind of authority。 In fact， it tells how the power affect the social relationship and how to make yourself stronger and more confident。 It was easy reading， reasonable and practical to control my behaviour in the office。 First of all， I realised the Japanese translation of "power" is difficult。 When I saw the Japanese title， I took it about some kind of authority。 In fact， it tells how the power affect the social relationship and how to make yourself stronger and more confident。 It was easy reading， reasonable and practical to control my behaviour in the office。 。。。more

Leandro Araujo ，

I've read this book as part of a research on the topic of power。 Deborah Gruenfeld has been a major academic voice on the matter as a professor at Stanford。 Compared to less academic and more popular books about power， for example 48 Laws of Power， this one applies a much more serious and convincing approach and makes the book by R。 Greene look like a book for teenagers。 It presents power in all its major nuances， the risks of abusing of power and other contemporary relevant points on the matter I've read this book as part of a research on the topic of power。 Deborah Gruenfeld has been a major academic voice on the matter as a professor at Stanford。 Compared to less academic and more popular books about power， for example 48 Laws of Power， this one applies a much more serious and convincing approach and makes the book by R。 Greene look like a book for teenagers。 It presents power in all its major nuances， the risks of abusing of power and other contemporary relevant points on the matter。 The text is sometimes a bit verbose and not exactly precise。 However， it's the better primer on the subject that I have found so far。 。。。more

Jennifer ，

Excellent tactical advice on how to *not* just be a bystander to abuse at work。 Also excellent pieces on how to handle inappropriate comments / behaviors at work， including ways you can stand up for others when you see it。

Esteban Burbano de Lara ，

Poorly sourced and supported personal reflections of a resentful female academic and her struggles with being powerless whilst thinking of herself as a femme fatale， mediocre at best。

Bunnavath ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Chapter 1 – Power is the position we portray in the lives of other individuals， and all of us have it in some way or the other。Chapter 2 – Performing power-up is better used to defend others’ rights。 Chapter 3 – Playing power down is a tool to communicate with individuals and win their trust。 Chapter 4 – A productive means of embodying a new task is to use creativity， accessories， and costumes。 Chapter 5 – Prioritize the job and the purpose of the group to play a supportive role properly。 Chapte Chapter 1 – Power is the position we portray in the lives of other individuals， and all of us have it in some way or the other。Chapter 2 – Performing power-up is better used to defend others’ rights。 Chapter 3 – Playing power down is a tool to communicate with individuals and win their trust。 Chapter 4 – A productive means of embodying a new task is to use creativity， accessories， and costumes。 Chapter 5 – Prioritize the job and the purpose of the group to play a supportive role properly。 Chapter 6 – Cure anxiety by practicing， getting warmed up， and not relying on yourself while taking on a huge， more effective task。 Chapter 7 – When bullies get to us， we have the strength to stop being the targets of bullies and to recover our stories。 Chapter 8 – Using authority as a leader involves leading and watching out for people and raising individuals who are doing the same。 。。。more

Dominique ，

Power HandbookInitially， when I saw that this book was available for purchase， I didn’t not think I would learn too many new things from it， especially after reading Robert Caro’s books on the subject of power which resulted in my expectations being set to an impossibly high standard。I’m actually really impressed with this book。 Social Psychologist Deborah Gruenfeld describes what good power is and how it is used to interact not just in the workplace but when interacting with others socially。 Wh Power HandbookInitially， when I saw that this book was available for purchase， I didn’t not think I would learn too many new things from it， especially after reading Robert Caro’s books on the subject of power which resulted in my expectations being set to an impossibly high standard。I’m actually really impressed with this book。 Social Psychologist Deborah Gruenfeld describes what good power is and how it is used to interact not just in the workplace but when interacting with others socially。 When it is necessary to， what the author calls， “play power up” or “play power down” by adjusting your mannerisms appropriately in accordance to social interactions as necessary。 Playing power up—by being in charge， or by playing it down—showing deference and being modest。 I appreciated the discussion on not attaining power for selfish gains but by helping others achieve their outcomes which， according to the author， actually makes you a stronger leader in the end。 The author discusses when it is necessary for those who have power to show deference to others and why。 Why those who have less power should play power down in the workplace to remind themselves and others of what their position is and how that reflects on others。 I liked how the author touched on the abstract forms of power such as giving others the space they are entitled to and why。 I see myself referring to this book on a not so infrequent basis to help make sure my mannerisms are calibrated appropriately within the workplace and in social interactions。I recommend this book to those who want to or feel that they will aspire to great heights and those who feel like they need to make to acquire more knowledge about how to behave socially。------------------------------------------Book Recommendation Count: 1Dictionary/Reference Word Count: 20Grammatical Error Count: 0 。。。more

Clivemichael ，

Excellent primer。 Personable， accessible and informative。

Ada ，

I came across this book because I was listening to a podcast which featured an interview with its author。 Gruenfeld was talking a little about the idea of power as a service done to others rather than as being wielded for its own sake。 As this seemed interesting， I reached for her book。The first thing to note is that “Acting with power” is not necessarily meant as “behaving with power”。 Gruenfeld does genuinely mean “acting” in the same way as Judi Dench would do。 In fact， it seems she teaches a I came across this book because I was listening to a podcast which featured an interview with its author。 Gruenfeld was talking a little about the idea of power as a service done to others rather than as being wielded for its own sake。 As this seemed interesting， I reached for her book。The first thing to note is that “Acting with power” is not necessarily meant as “behaving with power”。 Gruenfeld does genuinely mean “acting” in the same way as Judi Dench would do。 In fact， it seems she teaches a class on “acting” with power – working on her students’ portrayal of various dramatic roles in order to raise their confidence。 This is aligned to the main thesis of her book。 “Power” is an artificial and relative construct – dependent entirely on the situation one is placed in。 One might be a powerful businessman in the office and be reduced to complete helplessness by one’s disobedient teenager at home。Gruenfeld welcomes this flexibility of power and encourages her readers to think about playing power up and playing power down depending on a situation。 You might assess that someone else has taken a lead role in a meeting and therefore you let them lead。 Or to the contrary， you might see that a group of people needs someone to direct the discussion。 Either way， you should be able to adapt to situation。 Gruenfeld recalls going to a courtroom and imagining herself to be Daenerys Targaryen to be able to answer an interrogator’s questions （perhaps a comparison to reconsider after the last season of Game of Thrones。。。 Or are we just pretending that the last season of Game of Thrones never happened？）。 Power， as Gruenfeld understands it， does not involve raising one’s voice or speaking over others。 These are in fact behaviours that belie a lack of confidence in one’s power。 Power is… knowing that you have a huge dragon behind you which is able to blow everyone into smithereens？No？ Okay。 Fine。 “Power comes from the extent to which others need you in particular， for access to valued rewards and to avoid punishments （…） when others need you， they need you， they are motivated to please you， and this gives you control （。。）。 Power it is the capacity of social control。” To continue with the Dany example， Gruenfeld also devotes a section to the idea that power can act as a corrupting influence， by disinhibiting some of our lowest instincts。 She also spends a little time discussing on how you can become an upstander rather than a bystander in situations where power is being abused。 If you want to learn more about acting with power， then this book is a reasonable place to start。 。。。more

Helen ，

Interesting， but not very novel， information。 My takeaway phrase: "Power disinhibits"。 Interesting， but not very novel， information。 My takeaway phrase: "Power disinhibits"。 。。。more

Cat Roule ，

My expectations weren't met in this book。 Yes， we can all be powerful if we put our minds to it。 Yes， we can back down from others and let them have the power。 Things we know。 My expectations weren't met in this book。 Yes， we can all be powerful if we put our minds to it。 Yes， we can back down from others and let them have the power。 Things we know。 。。。more

Siying ，

I picked up this book after listening to the interview with the author at the podcast "Think Fast Talk Smart"， which was very insightful。 I ended up listening the audiobook at 1。25X。 I think the content is interesting （gist: being like an actor; why/when/how to act power up or power down）， but I would have got more out of it from classroom immersive experience， rather than just reading or listening to the book。 Comparing this book to Power: Why Some People Have it and Others Don't by Jeffrey Pfe I picked up this book after listening to the interview with the author at the podcast "Think Fast Talk Smart"， which was very insightful。 I ended up listening the audiobook at 1。25X。 I think the content is interesting （gist: being like an actor; why/when/how to act power up or power down）， but I would have got more out of it from classroom immersive experience， rather than just reading or listening to the book。 Comparing this book to Power: Why Some People Have it and Others Don't by Jeffrey Pfeffer （btw。 another GSB professor）， I would recommend Power if you're looking for mind-blowing career insights and actionable advice。 This book， on the other hand， would be more appreciated as a reflection or philosophical thinking。 Just from listening， often times I feel it is so obvious and there's nothing new。 Maybe I would have had a deeper thought if I were in her class and then use this book as reflection。btw。 There were a couple of interesting anecdotes I recall， though， e。g。 the witty power-play by ZHU Rongji。 Also the final chapter about how to collectively fight against power abuse is very relevant to current times。 。。。more

Shankar Sribalachandran ，

Excellent perspective and insights on power， not just in business but also everyday lives！ It really opened my mind to new ways of thinking around the concept of power and how to use it effectively。

Jenny Nelson ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 4/5 Favorite concept from book: Losing the Plot"Whenever we lose track of our roles and responsibilities because we are too focused on ourselves， our fears and insecurities， we risk doing lasting damage to our reputations and relationships。 To play our current roles well-and， more important， to step confidently into new ones- we need to let go of old habits。 We need to put our inner children to bed。 We need to stretch beyond outdated ways of seeing ourselves and ways of relating to other people。 4/5 Favorite concept from book: Losing the Plot"Whenever we lose track of our roles and responsibilities because we are too focused on ourselves， our fears and insecurities， we risk doing lasting damage to our reputations and relationships。 To play our current roles well-and， more important， to step confidently into new ones- we need to let go of old habits。 We need to put our inner children to bed。 We need to stretch beyond outdated ways of seeing ourselves and ways of relating to other people。 The ways we all act out our fears may feel authentic， but they are not always helpful。 Everyone has a history with power that gets carried into adult roles in one form or another。 When stepping into new roles that don't fit with the old way of doing things， we have to make adjustments。 To use power well， it's not enough to be able to do the things that have worked elsewhere， or to play our parts in ways that feel natural and safe。 We have to get comfortable doing the new things that feel unnatural but make sense on the stages where we are standing。 It is not a question of being yourself or trying to be someone else。 It is a challenge of aligning your thoughts， feelings， and actions with your responsibilities to other people。 。。。more

Janis ，

Political centrists will love this。The first two-thirds are pretty much about human pecking order。 I found myself cringing at what felt trauma-ignorant and otherwise surprisingly insensitive。 Not until I got to chapter 9 did Dr。 Gruenfeld start addressing the unhealthiness， to put it mildly， of what she's describing。 I imagine I'm not the only one whose life this reflects: work your way through the power-centric BS first， and if you can tolerate it you'll find something to hold。Students: if you Political centrists will love this。The first two-thirds are pretty much about human pecking order。 I found myself cringing at what felt trauma-ignorant and otherwise surprisingly insensitive。 Not until I got to chapter 9 did Dr。 Gruenfeld start addressing the unhealthiness， to put it mildly， of what she's describing。 I imagine I'm not the only one whose life this reflects: work your way through the power-centric BS first， and if you can tolerate it you'll find something to hold。Students: if you find yourself hearing， "It's not my emergency" from anyone in authority， there *is* someone who *can* help you。 They just may be harder to find than you thought。 Please keep looking。 In my experience， psych profs are the last place to expect anything but the brittlest head games （which may or may not be real boundaries）。 Please don't take that anecdote for anything more than it is （and hopefully you can see why this review looks like it does）。I'm very glad to see this articulated in a less-academic format for those who don't read studies （yet）。 There are edges that are bold， but I found myself wanting something more than even more Second Wave literature。 I did send mine to my brother， who thinks First Wave Feminism happened entirely in 1917。 There was so much potential to discuss racism （roles？ scripts？）， but of course， all we get there is white noise。It's a useful tool， but more of a Dremel than a wrecking ball。 It's not my Patriarchy， so maybe that's what's required？ I'm personally beyond impatient with tiptoeing around egos and mismanaged wealth， and it won't do diddly to put a dent in the US trend toward populism。 It's a safe read。 Speaking of power， I wish I hadn't bought it so much as waited until it was available at the library。 。。。more

Vinash Gopalakrishnan ，

The book provides a different perspective on power dynamics and how each person can define their part through social interaction in applying power。 Deborah articulates her insights very well especially from a social psychology perspective on how each individual can benefit power dynamics through propagation or diminution of roles in social interactions; applies contexts and provides readers insight into the role of power plays and its implications。 Easy read， engaging and highly recommend to any The book provides a different perspective on power dynamics and how each person can define their part through social interaction in applying power。 Deborah articulates her insights very well especially from a social psychology perspective on how each individual can benefit power dynamics through propagation or diminution of roles in social interactions; applies contexts and provides readers insight into the role of power plays and its implications。 Easy read， engaging and highly recommend to anyone to uncover another lens to apply their power in daily facet life。 。。。more

Robert ，

In general， I found it pretty disappointing。I was expecting some really unique observations and theories about the nature of power， but instead everything seemed very obvious trite。An example of the kind of observations in this book: You might want to behave differently towards your boss than you do towards your subordinates， taking into account the power dynamics。And I say: Thanks， Captain Obvious！The one concept that did stick with me was（1） Playing up power（2） Playing down powerIn other words In general， I found it pretty disappointing。I was expecting some really unique observations and theories about the nature of power， but instead everything seemed very obvious trite。An example of the kind of observations in this book: You might want to behave differently towards your boss than you do towards your subordinates， taking into account the power dynamics。And I say: Thanks， Captain Obvious！The one concept that did stick with me was（1） Playing up power（2） Playing down powerIn other words， in some cases it might be a good idea to deliberately downplay yourself in order to be more approachable to people who might be intimidated by you if you have a higher position or status。 Of course people already do this naturally anyway， but I guess it's good to keep in mind。But overall， don't expect too much from this。 。。。more

Vanessa Princessa ，

I read this book thanks to Blinkist。Not bad， not great either。

Maxine Blackwood ，

Having power isn’t enough。 You have to know how and when to play it up or down depending on your goals and responsibilities。 Sometimes， you’ll need to assert your power to protect others。 This might mean taking charge in difficult situations， calling out abuses of power， or elevating those who’ll also use power to contribute to a shared mission。 At other times， establishing trust and building relationships will take priority。 This is when you’ll have to play power down by deferring to others or Having power isn’t enough。 You have to know how and when to play it up or down depending on your goals and responsibilities。 Sometimes， you’ll need to assert your power to protect others。 This might mean taking charge in difficult situations， calling out abuses of power， or elevating those who’ll also use power to contribute to a shared mission。 At other times， establishing trust and building relationships will take priority。 This is when you’ll have to play power down by deferring to others or not taking yourself too seriously。 While you won’t always feel capable of exerting power， by imagining different realities， rehearsing your part， and focusing on others or the bigger picture， you can find the confidence to own any role。 。。。more

Zhivko Kabaivanov ，

Understand the power and use it confidently in any role。Power is often viewed as mysterious and reserved for people who are either specially gifted or ruthlessly determined。 But power exists in all relationships。Because we depend on each other in different ways， we all have some degree of control over other people’s circumstances。 And while we can be self-serving in how we use our power， everyone is better off when our aim is to help others or to achieve a common goal。With this book you will lea Understand the power and use it confidently in any role。Power is often viewed as mysterious and reserved for people who are either specially gifted or ruthlessly determined。 But power exists in all relationships。Because we depend on each other in different ways， we all have some degree of control over other people’s circumstances。 And while we can be self-serving in how we use our power， everyone is better off when our aim is to help others or to achieve a common goal。With this book you will learn:why it can be valuable to downplay your power;how to secure a seat on a rocket ship; andwhat power means when you’re at the very top。 。。。more

Chintushig Tumenbayar ，

Such an eye opening book。 Never thought about power in this manner。 Thanks a bunch！

QUINNS ，

Power is flexible， it could be play up or down depending on your goals and responsibilities。 In difficult situations， you will need to assert power to call out abuses， or elevate those with a shared mission。 At other times， you would play power down when establishing trust in relationships。 The author offer ways to exert power during incapable times。 Such as by imaging different realities， rehearsing your part， and focusing on there or the bigger picture。 You are capable to own any roles with co Power is flexible， it could be play up or down depending on your goals and responsibilities。 In difficult situations， you will need to assert power to call out abuses， or elevate those with a shared mission。 At other times， you would play power down when establishing trust in relationships。 The author offer ways to exert power during incapable times。 Such as by imaging different realities， rehearsing your part， and focusing on there or the bigger picture。 You are capable to own any roles with confidence。 。。。more

Theodore Kinni ，

An insightful view of power built upon "the standard of beneficence。" Can't help but compare it to the current state of leadership in the world and wonder why and how the use of power has become so toxic。 An insightful view of power built upon "the standard of beneficence。" Can't help but compare it to the current state of leadership in the world and wonder why and how the use of power has become so toxic。 。。。more

Elisabeth Sonnleitner ，

At first， I thought this was just another self-help/management book， but after only one chapter， I realized I was wrong。 The author completely changed my perception on power and authenticity。 This book provides so many tangible and concrete examples of how you can play power up and down while at the same time exploring why power is sometimes misused and what can and should be done about that。 A book everyone can benefit from， no matter if you feel you‘re in power or not。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Acting with Power: Why We Are More Powerful than We Believe

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Acting with Power: Why We Are More Powerful than We Believe&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Acting with Power: Why We Are More Powerful than We Believe&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0