13.04.2026 • 26 Min.

Do you like the feeling of others having power over you? Power shapes everything, leadership, companies, and the societies we live in. What we rarely question is what drives people to seek it in the first place. Not everyone wants a leadership position with the same intent. Some step into it to take responsibility and build something meaningful. Others are primarily drawn to power itself and how they can use it to advance themselves. That difference is hard to detect in hiring, but over time it defines the kind of leadership we get. Power also shifts the behaviour of even the most well-intentioned leaders. Which leads to the question: Why do the wrong people end up in charge? Resources mentioned: Dacher Keltner, The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence (2016) Amy Edmondson, The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth (2018)