Decision-making is at the heart of leadership – how power is used, how influence is wielded, and what happens when one has all the leverage. History, politics and business are full of instances where leaders with power have to make a choice: do they use their authority to create deeper relationships, or do they use pressure for personal or strategic gain?
One of those occasions occurred in the White House when President Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Politics aside, this was a masterclass on how power dynamics play out in leadership. A leader walks into the room seeking guidance. The other, seated behind the world’s most powerful desk, holds all the cards. What follows decides the fate of nations.
But it’s not only a political story – it’s a leadership one. All executives, negotiators, and CEOs struggle with a version of this question: Do you lead through partnership or pressure? Is your leverage a lever for progress or manipulation? Are you building trust or breaking it?
The great historical leaders understood that power is temporary but reputation is eternal. The best use their power to build, not to conquer. They also understand that the power of the day can turn into the liability of tomorrow if misused.
In politics, in business, in life, the question is always the same: How do you lead when you are in absolute power?
Simon
