Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
empire building
Portuguese translation:
mania de grandezas (Pt-Br); mania das grandezas (Pt-Pt); acúmulo de poder para autopromoção
English term
Brazil
IT Specialist • M.A. in Linguistics
Native in: Portuguese (Variant: Brazilian) 
Works in: English to Portuguese, Spanish to Portuguese, Portuguese to English, and 1 more.
empire building
Here is an example of using your personal power.
Your company has a hiring freeze, but you're known for running a lean team.
You use your personal power to convince your manager to approve your request for a new hire.
You succeed because you have a reputation. Your boss trusts you.
On the other hand, a colleague who has a history of empire building makes a similar request and it is denied.
Proposed translations
Portugal
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida 
30+ years translating EU documents
Native in: Portuguese (Variant: European/Portugal)
Works in: English to Portuguese, French to Portuguese, Spanish to Portuguese, and 1 more.
mania das grandezas, megalomania
| agree |
ferreirac
: Ou: que tem mania de grandeza
6 mins
|
|
Obrigada, Cícero!
|
|
| agree |
Claudio Mazotti
13 hrs
|
|
Obrigada, Claudio!
|
|
| agree |
Jonatas Ribeiro de Andrade
15 hrs
|
|
Obrigada, Jonatas!
|
United Kingdom
Qualified
Native in: Portuguese 
, English
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English, Swedish to Portuguese, and 11 more.
desenvolvimento de valor pessoal
Brazil
32 years engineering/law/contracts
Native in: English (Variant: US) , Portuguese (Variant: Brazilian)
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English
autopromoção egocêntrica
Brazil
Nothing less than high quality.
Native in: Portuguese (Variant: Brazilian)
Works in: English to Portuguese
(com histórico de) disputa por poder
Will do!
Native in: Portuguese (Variant: European/Portugal)
Works in: English to Portuguese, French to Portuguese, German to Portuguese, and 1 more.
subalternizar os colegas (para/e acumular poder)
foco na expansão
Brazil
Native Brazilian_20+ years living in US
Native in: Portuguese
Works in: English to Portuguese, Spanish to Portuguese, Portuguese to English
(com histórico de) sede de poder
Napoleão, com sua sede de poder desenfreada, conquistou mundos.
Discussion
Enquanto um funcionário mantinha uma equipe enxuta e era bem visto por isso (ele pensava no que era melhor para a empresa), o outro era o "empire builder" - queria erguer o próprio império dentro da empresa, contratar mais funcionários para seu departamento, enfim, tinha mania de grandeza. Queria todo o poder para si.
Mais uma vez agradeço a todos e um bom domingo!
empire-building =
the process of getting more power for yourself in an organization, without caring about whether this is good for the organization
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/american/empi...
empire-builder =
a person who seeks extra power for its own sake, esp by increasing the number of his subordinates or staff
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/empire-...