How to Spot Someone on a Power Trip

Some people have big egos. They see themselves as superior, but their sense of importance comes more from how they perceive themselves than from how they treat others. In contrast, those on a power trip constantly need to feed their egos — thriving on control, intimidation, and belittling others — just to feel important.

This raises the question: What are they thinking? Or are they thinking at all? Are they driven by results, seeking attention, or simply stroking their ego?

Power Trip Alert: Red Flags to Watch For

A power-hungry person isn’t just confident — they crave dominance and control, often at the expense of others. You can spot them by their need to micromanage, intimidate, or assert authority in ways that turn leadership into manipulation.

Here are 25 telltale signs of a power-hungry person…

Power-hungry individuals:

Publicly criticize others, undermining their credibility.
Exploit their position for personal gain.
Coerce people into compliance by threatening consequences.
Leverage power to extract unreasonable concessions.
Demand people jump through hoops — or face repercussions.
Foster dependency, making others reliant on them for success.
Hold the key to others’ needs but let them struggle.
Keep others waiting to assert dominance.
Fabricate crises to observe discomfort or reactions.
Reprimand anyone who challenges them.
Use threats to enforce obedience.
Make others wait while tending to personal matters.
Treat their time as more valuable than anyone else’s.
Suck up to superiors while belittling subordinates.
Impose rules they refuse to follow.
Distance themselves from others to maintain a sense of importance.
Create approval processes that feel like obstacle courses.
Arrive late without explanation or apology.
Ignore calls or emails without justification.
Make unrealistic demands with no rationale.
Prioritize their comfort at others’ expense.
Procrastinate — then expect others to fix their mess.
Dismiss basic manners, assuming their position excuses it.
Vilify those who don’t share their values.
Cut in line, believing they’re entitled.

Self-Respect — The Ultimate Form of Power

If you find yourself doing these things — even occasionally — ask yourself: What’s motivating my behavior? How would I feel if I were treated this way? More importantly, what am I hoping to achieve?

If you think it will make you more effective, it won’t. If you expect others to admire you, you’re mistaken. If you believe it will boost your self-esteem, you’re deceiving yourself.

A person who craves power is rarely aware of how much they lose in pursuing it.

You can’t lift yourself up by putting others down. While exerting power might make you feel superior, it ultimately erodes trust, respect, and credibility — leaving you isolated. Real strength is rooted in self-respect, not in seeking validation from others. If you’re truly as capable as you believe, you don’t need to prove it to anyone — just yourself. As Margaret Thatcher said, “Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” Achieving success says less about you than how you choose to wear it. Just as excess in diet harms the body, a thirst for power corrupts the soul.