Power Intelligence:

Insights on Power and Leadership
Influencing without Integrity

Influencing without Integrity

We admire confidence. Vision. The power to inspire action. From boardrooms to newsrooms, we’re often told that great leaders “shape the narrative,” “control the message,” and “move the masses.” It’s an impressive skill—when used wisely.

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The Power of Awe

The Power of Awe

The definition of a hero is someone who is “noted for courageous, sacrificial acts or nobility of character.”

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When Power Steps Outside the Lines

When Power Steps Outside the Lines

We obey not through force or surveillance, but through a quiet, internalized consent to follow rules and respect norms. Somewhere, we understand that our safety—our collective wellbeing—depends on these tacit agreements.

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The Slippery Slope

The Slippery Slope

I’m not hurting anyone. Everyone does it. Anyway, what others do is so much worse. No one is going to notice. What’s the big deal, anyway?

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Play for the Name on the Front of the Jersey

Play for the Name on the Front of the Jersey

He didn’t seem at all daunted by the task ahead of him. The country was still reeling from the attacks of 9/11, embroiled in a disastrous war, the economy rocked by some of the worst business scandals in U.S. history, and growing corrosive partisanship, dividing the country. 

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Checks and Balances

Checks and Balances

It took me over a month to open a new checking account at my local bank. It’s been years since I opened a bank account, and I was frustrated by what seemed to be excessive paperwork. At one point, the bank associate asked me whether I was a “politically exposed person.”

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Myth of Meritocracy

Myth of Meritocracy

If you grew up in America, drummed into your head from an early age was the principle that “anyone can become President.”  That’s shorthand for one of the pillars of democracy: meritocracy. 

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The Price You Pay

The Price You Pay

Politicians play it safe. They pander to their base. Promise the sky. Cater to lobbyists. Just to stay in power. 

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