you can usually tell the power setup in a department within the first 5 minutes of a meeting.
just watch who the boss talks to first. watch who they ask for ideas, who they look to for answers, and who they check with before moving on.
when a boss says stuff like, "jason, what do you thnk??? or "nicole, what is your take?" that tells you a lot. it shows who they trust and whose opinion matters most. that is usually the person with real pull in the room, even if their title does not sound the biggest.
sooo, its simple, pay attention to that person….learn how they think. build a good working relationship with them. a lot of times, that is the person helping shape the real decisions and decides who moves up or down.