"For Anthony Giddens, ‘power’ is a fundamental concept in the social sciences. By ‘power’ Giddens means ‘transformative capacity’; in other words, the ability to make a difference in the world. In Giddens’s view, whenever an individual carries out a social action – by which we understand any action with an intention behind it – that individual makes a difference in the world. The consequences of a social action may go against many other individuals’ vested interests. We all carry out social actions, so it follows that we all have power. However, the amount of power an individual has is related to ‘resources’."

http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/9547_017533ch2.pdf