The Understream of Power
Power in organisations is more than formal roles or authority. This blog explores the psychodynamics of the understream, how invisible patterns and relational fields shape behaviour – and how leadership can bring these forces into awareness and transformation.
summary: Power often operates beneath the surface. Not in formal charts, but in silences, alliances and unconscious reflexes. This blog shows how becoming aware of the understream of power can lead to more transparent, mature and connected organisational systems.
Hier is de volledige Engelse vertaling van de blogtekst “De onderstroom van de macht”, in lijn met de toon, structuur en stijl van je andere Engelstalige DBVP-blogs:
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The Understream of Power
Power in organisations is often defined as something formal: roles, titles, decision-making authority. But behind this visible surface, a more subtle reality exists – the understream of power. In the pauses between words, the silence in meetings, the hesitation or overconfidence of individuals, we begin to sense who truly holds influence – and how that influence shapes the fabric of the organisation.
This understream is not inherently negative. Power is a necessary force: it brings order, enables decision-making, and protects boundaries. But when left unexamined, it often becomes rigid. Unspoken hierarchies start to define who is allowed to speak and who remains silent, which ideas are welcomed and which disappear behind the scenes. Power that goes unnamed quietly embeds itself in collective behaviour.
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The Psychodynamics of Power
In these hidden layers, power is rarely named explicitly – yet deeply felt. People adapt to unspoken expectations, avoid confrontation, or find subtle ways to exert influence outside formal channels. Leaders are not immune: they, too, are shaped by the culture in which they lead. The desire to stay in control may narrow their capacity to listen; fear of losing authority can lead to defensive decision-making.
Power always has a relational dimension. It is not the trait of an individual, but a field that arises between people. And it is within this field that many of the invisible blocks to agility and collaboration emerge.
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The Invitation to Awareness
Exploring the understream of power takes courage. Not to dismantle existing structures, but to create space for what currently cannot be said.
When leaders open this conversation, the climate begins to shift. Instead of fear or strategic behaviour, space opens for real dialogue. People begin to name the mechanisms that keep them stuck: recurring reflexes, informal alliances, unspoken fears of stepping out of line. By making these patterns visible, power loses its shadow – and regains its role as a source of direction and alignment.
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Power as Shared Responsibility
The goal is not to create power-free spaces – such a thing does not exist – but to cultivate a culture in which power is held consciously and shared collectively. This asks leaders not just to wield power, but to learn how to distribute it: through transparent decision-making, reciprocal feedback, and a willingness to be held accountable themselves.
When power is approached in this way, the dynamic shifts. The understream is no longer a hidden tension, but a conscious field in which people learn to move together. And it is precisely in this space – transparent, relational, and grounded – that mature organisations emerge: systems where authority does not suppress, but supports; where influence does not divide, but connects.
Rene de Baaij
