Ever wonder why the person less qualified than you keeps getting promoted? They're not smarter. They're not working harder. They've simply figured out what you haven't: who actually makes decisions. While you've been impressing people with titles, they've been building trust with the people who quietly decide what happens next. And that's why they're moving up while you're stuck.

Robert Moses never held elected office in New York. No formal executive position. Yet for 40 years, he shaped the city more than any mayor or governor. How? He understood something most people miss: organizational power doesn't follow the org chart. He controlled the people with technical expertise (engineers, planners), he had relationships with everyone who mattered (bankers, politicians, business leaders), and he positioned himself at every decision point that involved infrastructure. Three circles of power, all intersecting in one person.

That's what power mapping reveals.

Power operates in three circles. Most people only see one.

Circle 1: Positional Power - The people with titles. VPs, Directors, Department Heads. They have formal authority on paper: budgets, approvals, promotions. But here's the problem: people with titles can still be overruled, sidelined, or ignored if they lack real influence.