According to Dacher Keltner of the University of California, Berkeley, and his colleagues, power in negotiation influences two primary neurological regulators of behavior: the behavioral approach system and the behavioral inhibition system.
Powerful negotiators tend to display approach-related behaviors, such as positive moods, assertiveness, and active pursuit of rewards and opportunities.
By contrast, negotiators who feel powerless often experience self-inhibition, driven by fear of threats, rejection, or potential loss. They may hesitate, concede early, or avoid pushing for better outcomes.
Below, we explore four key differences between powerful and less powerful negotiators—differences you can use to your advantage at the bargaining table.
Quick Answer: How Does Power Affect Negotiation?
Research consistently shows that negotiators who feel powerful:
- Take initiative and act more decisively
- Are less vulnerable to intimidation tactics
- Take more creative and strategic risks
- But sometimes lose perspective and overlook others’ interests
The best results occur when negotiators combine power with perspective-taking.
Findings from Negotiation Research: Power in Negotiation
1. Powerful Negotiators Take Action
Whether power comes from a strong BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement), organizational authority, expertise, or personal confidence, it pushes negotiators to act more proactively.
Research by Adam D. Galinsky, Deborah Gruenfeld, and Joe C. Magee shows that simply recalling a time when people felt powerful makes them more likely to negotiate rather than accept an offer as presented. This effect is particularly important in salary negotiations and job offers, where small gains compound into major long-term earnings differences.
The negotiation research also showed that powerful negotiators are more inclined than less powerful negotiators to make the first offer (see also, should you make the first offer?). In fact, in one study, having a strong alternative to a negotiated agreement led negotiators to be three times more likely to try to make the first offer. Notably, making the first offer produced a distinct bargaining advantage (see also, anchoring in negotiations).
The powerful are also more persistent than other negotiators, less likely to give up when confronted with setbacks and obstacles, and more likely to strive toward more aggressive goals. As long as they have something to gain, high power negotiators typically will not accept an impasse. This assertiveness not only produces gains for the powerful negotiator but also enables integrative negotiations and the discovery of mutually beneficial tradeoffs that can benefit both sides.
2. Powerful Negotiators Are Less Easily Manipulated
Power can also serve as a form of protection in negotiation.
An extreme historical illustration comes from the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s, when Serbian military commander Ratko Mladić frequently used anger and emotional outbursts in negotiations. Such tactics intimidated subordinates but proved far less effective when directed at negotiators who possessed equal or greater power.
Why? Because power reduces vulnerability to intimidation.
Research by Gerben Van Kleef of the University of Amsterdam shows that negotiators with low power are strongly influenced by an opponent’s anger and tend to make larger concessions. High-power negotiators, by contrast, are far less swayed emotionally and stay focused on their interests.
Building Psychological Power Before Negotiation
Even if your formal power is limited, you can boost psychological power:
- Recall a negotiation where you had a strong BATNA.
- Review your alternatives before entering talks.
- Prepare objective standards and evidence supporting your position.
Reminding yourself of your options and strengths can reduce susceptibility to emotional pressure tactics.
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Build powerful negotiation skills and become a better dealmaker and leader. Download our FREE special report, Negotiation Skills: Negotiation Strategies and Negotiation Techniques to Help You Become a Better Negotiator, from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.
3. Powerful Negotiators Take Creative Risks
A common assumption is that power makes people rigid. But negotiation research shows the opposite in dynamic bargaining situations.
Psychological power can increase creativity and flexible thinking, helping negotiators imagine novel tradeoffs and solutions rather than feeling constrained by the other side’s initial proposal.
Research with Cameron Anderson also shows that powerful negotiators tend to:
- Focus more on potential gains than losses
- Become more optimistic
- Take calculated risks
This risk tolerance can help negotiators reveal interests, exchange information, and expand the pie in integrative negotiations.
But there are downsides.
Power can also increase:
- Overconfidence
- Bluffing
- Risky ultimatums
- Competitive escalation
- Temptation to deceive
These behaviors can provoke retaliation or derail cooperation, causing negotiators to miss opportunities for mutual gain.
4. Powerful Negotiators Sometimes Lose Perspective
Perhaps the most consistent downside of power is reduced perspective-taking.
Perspective-taking—the ability to understand the situation from the other party’s viewpoint—is one of negotiation’s most critical skills. Yet power often causes negotiators to overlook what their counterpart wants and why.
When negotiators focus solely on their own position, they may:
- Miss opportunities for tradeoffs
- Trigger resistance
- Damage long-term relationships
The most effective negotiators combine power with empathy. When powerful negotiators actively consider the other side’s interests, they preserve the advantages of assertiveness and persistence while avoiding excessive risk-taking or relationship damage.
The ultimate lesson? Seek power—or cultivate a sense of power—then pair it with perspective-taking.
Do you consider yourself a powerful negotiator? How do you build or project power when negotiating?
Claim your FREE copy: Negotiation Skills
Build powerful negotiation skills and become a better dealmaker and leader. Download our FREE special report, Negotiation Skills: Negotiation Strategies and Negotiation Techniques to Help You Become a Better Negotiator, from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.
Adapted from “Power Plays” in the Negotiation newsletter by Adam D. Galinsky and Joe C. Magee.
Originally published in 2013.
Thank you for this thoughtful blog. I teach negotiation to masters students at the University of Baltimore where we distinguish between power as force and power as the capacity to inspire long term positive results not only for those at the negotiating table, but also for those affected by the decisions made there. By making this distinction (power as domination vs power as enlightened influence), we reduce the risk that those in power neglect the needs of others. Power as domination can at best lead to negative peace (no violence, but limited freedom/voice). Positive peace requires power exercised as creative collaboration which takes as its source a deep sense of truth, justice, and a sense of shared destiny.