For women in business, there is a difference between being taken seriously and being overbearing. People can at times be intimidated by a woman of power and influence, also known as a woman who means business! However, more and more women are succeeding at being powerful in business, politics, and the community. If we use our power wisely, and surround ourselves with other successful people who support us, then being powerful can be a positive and great experience for us and those around us. It can also boost our success. Here are 5 different power forms that you can evaluate and leverage for yourself:

1. Personal Power: Personal power is first and foremost for each of us, as it starts and ends inside of us, and benefits us and those around us. This form of power speaks to your own personal vision for yourself. It encompasses who you are as a person, with all of your natural talents, gifts and passions. Having a sense of personal power means connecting with yourself, being true to who you are as a person, and knowing what your strengths are. Here are some questions to ask yourself about personal power: Do you value yourself and matter to you? What are your #1 gifts and talents? How can you make a difference to yourself and in the world?

2. Professional Power: Professional Power speaks to the professions each of us has chosen. You can be most effective in your profession if you truly connect with how you are spending your work life. It’s about the meaning as well as the money. It’s about doing what you love to do as a result of who you are as a person. It’s about contributing, offering a product or service that you can speak of with enthusiasm, passion, and joy. It’s also about associating with others in the profession, to upgrade the profession, to belong to professional organizations. It’s about always learning and training to be the most effective professional you can be. It’s about not compromising your beliefs or ethics to make a buck. It’s about letting who you are and what you do seep out of your pores.

3. Financial Power: Financial Power speaks to your relationship with money, your ability to earn what you deserve and spend consciously. Financial power comes from an attitude of choice and abundance rather than deprivation. The financially powerful woman looks for multiple streams of income, spends within her means, and also plans/invests for the future so that she can feel secure and abundant at all times. How would you rate your financial health on a scale of 1 to 10? Do you feel financially powerful?What is one thing you need to change about your financial picture starting today?

4. Network Power: Networking is an incredibly powerful way to get your message out in the community. If you focus on connecting with other people, and have an attitude of service, mutuality, and prosperity, you can reap huge benefits as well as benefiting others. There are social networks, business networks, political networks, community networks, and many other types of networks you can participate in and access. Since time is always limited, you need to be very SELECTIVE about who you network with. It is easy to get caught up in drama, gossip, and defeating networks of people who do not take care of themselves or help others to prosper. Instead, you can collaborate and everyone wins! Think about your #1 social, business, and community networks. Are they working with and for you? Are you more of a giver, a taker, or a mutual-minded person?

5. Global Power: Global power is the ability to be aware of the large and small world we live in, to see the big picture of life and where we can fit into the global community. People with global power tend to be aware of world events, larger systems, cultures, communities, as well as their own internal and family world. Some questions to ask yourself: Are you aware of what is happening in your world and the world beyond? Are you educating yourself about technology, and how it can work for you? Do you access and research your areas of interest and expertise to keep yourself updated?

If you continue to think about how your power and how it can work for you and others, you might be amazed by the results. Once you are comfortable with yourself, and look to collaborate with others, you can get so much accomplished, personally and in business. All success starts with being who you are and owning your power to create, to be effective, and to ultimately inspire yourself and others to be their best.

Hopefully, you have learned a bit about forms of power that you can tap into. Perhaps you have asked yourself some hard questions and have some work to do! That's ok! Success is a journey, not a destination. If you find you are stuck, it can be very beneficial to work with a mentor or coach in this process. Embrace your power, for it is inside of you, and it is about you. As long as you are using it to improve your quality of life, it is a very useful tool. Power, along with the other tools in your toolbox is much less scary and more user friendly once you learn how to use it.