The power drift: how informal power quietly rewrites your operating model
Every operating model defines formal power
Decision rights. Governance. Escalation pathways. Accountability. But every organisation also runs on something else: informal power. The influence people hold because of history, relationships, credibility, or political gravity.
When the formal model and the informal power map don’t match, something predictable happens: the operating model drifts. Not because people resist it, but because informal power quietly rewrites it.
Executives feel this long before they name it. Decisions land in unexpected places. Workflows bend around certain individuals. Teams follow influence, not structure. The model on paper becomes a polite fiction.
Not because the model is wrong. But because the power system hasn’t been reset.
What power drift looks like
Different roles, different symptoms, but the same patterns emerge: informal power quietly reshapes the operating model faster than structure can hold it together.
Example 1: The long tenured Portfolio Lead who becomes the unofficial decision maker
The model says decisions sit with product and technology. But the Portfolio Lead has been around for 12 years. Everyone trusts her judgment. Everyone seeks her input. Everyone waits for her nod.
She’s not overstepping. She’s exercising legacy power. Influence earned long before the model existed.
Example 2: The Head of Sales who can override priorities without ever asking to
The model says sequencing is owned by product. But when Sales pushes for a deal critical feature, everything shifts. Not because he demands it, but because the organisation has learned: revenue > governance.
The is commercial power. The kind the bends the model without breaking a rule.
Example 3: The high performing Engineering Manager who becomes the real bottleneck
The model says teams are autonomous. But this Engineering Manager is the only one trusted to make certain calls. Everything flows through him. Capacity, sequencing, architecture, even risk.
He’s not controlling. He’s carrying the power of competence. Influence created by capability gaps elsewhere.
Example 4: The Chief of Staff who becomes the shadow integrator
The model says integration sits with the Chief Operating Officer. But the Chief of Staff has the relationships, the context, and the access. So leaders go to her first. She becomes the unofficial orchestrator of operations within the company.
She’s not bypassing the model. She’s got relational power. Influence built through trust, not hierarchy.
Example 5: The Board facing Executive who shapes decisions before they’re even made
The model says decisions are made in governance forums. But everyone knows which executive the Board listens to. So decisions get pre-aligned around that person’s preferences.
No one names it. Everyone feels it. This is positional power. Influence that flows from proximity to authority.
Why power drift is so destructive
It creates two operating models:
The formal model everyone talks about, and
The real model everyone actually follows.
When power drift is high:
Decisions land in the wrong places,
Governance becomes performative,
Teams optimise for influence, not outcomes,
Leaders work around the model instead of through it,
Delivery becomes dependent on certain individuals, and
The system becomes fragile under pressure.
Operating models don’t fail because people don’t understand them. They fail because informal power is stronger than formal design.
A quick reflection if this resonates
Take 60 seconds and ask yourself:
“Who holds influence in this organisation, and does the model reflect that reality?”
You’ll know instantly.
If you want to go deeper, ask:
“Where does work actually flow to, and who does it flow around?”
That’s where the power drift is hiding.
What the reflection tells you
If you can see the power drift, you’re already ahead of most organisations.
The question isn’t whether the model is right. It’s whether the power system supports it.
Leaders who get ahead of this don’t redraw structures. They reset the power dynamics that shape behaviour.
If you’re seeing power drift, not is the moment to act
You don’t need more governance. You need a power system that aligns with the model you’re trying to run.
If you’re ready to steady the system, let’s work on this together. Here are three ways:
Interim Executive - when the transformation needs a senior leader inside the organisation to stabilise, steer, and deliver,
Capability Building - when product and transformation leaders are expected to know how to navigate the people, politics, and performance expectations that come with their jobs, yet no one has taught them these skills during their entire career, and
Executive Coaching - when senior leaders need a confidential, strategic partner to think clearly, make decisions, and lead through change and complexity.