Power Intelligence:

Insights on Power and Leadership
No One Wants This

No One Wants This

Fewer people want to lead—but why? This article explores why leadership feels unbearable today and what it will take to make good leadership possible again.

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Open Borders

Open Borders

Close the borders. Levy the tariffs. Protect the turf.  It’s a natural instinct to circle the wagons and guard yourself from threats beyond the boundary, whether those boundaries are national, organizational, or team-based.  It’s a natural instinct. Except it doesn’t work.

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The Roots Beneath You

The Roots Beneath You

We live in an era where we can craft our own identities, which is a uniquely modern phenomenon. With technology and social media, we can find communities based on anything from music preferences to diet. This freedom offers a sense of independence, but it comes at a cost.

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The Peak of Mt. Stupid

The Peak of Mt. Stupid

We’ve arrived at a moment where everyone’s an expert on everything. Epidemiology, international law, airplane safety, constitutional precedent, you name it. All you need is a web browser, a following, and enough chutzpah to voice your opinion.. But knowing a little, and believing you know it all, has always been a recipe for disaster.

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The Power of Timing

The Power of Timing

The “too hard basket” gets full awfully quickly. Tricky conflicts. Knotty problems. Longstanding feuds. Some things simply defy solutions, and it’s tempting to give up. 

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Power Hiding in Plain Sight

Power Hiding in Plain Sight

A few years back, I was designing a leadership program with a group of other consultants. We were discussing potential facilitators for the team. Maya’s name was on the list. “She’s great,” said my colleague, Raj. “She’s really smart, asks tough questions, and pushes people to think differently. Exactly the kind of person we need for this project.”

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No Joking Matter

No Joking Matter

The fools, the jester, the trickster, the clown. Throughout history, and across culture, there have always been entertainers whose job was to entertain and amuse with jokes, songs, storytelling, and magic tricks. But they did more than just amuse.

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Bringing Things to Light

Bringing Things to Light

In this age of instant information, anyone can broadcast their opinions to the world, or use AI to create buzz, whether true or not. The power to control and manipulate information has never been more available, nor more dangerous.

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Flying Your Freak Flag

Flying Your Freak Flag

Being liked. Being popular. Fitting in. It’s something we all crave—and those desires shape us, often more than we realize.

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No Title Required

No Title Required

The most common image of power? A pyramid or ladder, where those on the lower rungs look up, waiting to be asked, promoted, or invited. It’s easy to shrink in the face of someone else’s authority, hesitant to speak, unsure if we belong at the table.

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