In a World Where It’s All Going Wrong, Let’s Talk About Power Done Right, Right?

After I explained everything I had going on, he said:

“Yeah, I'll be honest, I don't know if I align with the power stuff because I tend to be apolitical, and power has a political dynamic to it, both socially (meaning in our society), but also if you’re running a business. That’s all I’m gonna say about that for now because that’s a BIG discussion.”

And I agree with him. 

Power is a problem. Not by accident, and not just lately.

Across the globe, headlines are flooding our feeds right now: politics, corruption, manipulation, diabolical “leaders” clinging to authority for all the wrong reasons. Power, in terms of its image? Messy. Icky. Untrustworthy.

When you see a power move on Sky News or CNN, it usually comes with a plot twist involving egos, secret dossiers or not-so-secret Signal messages, and a trail of human collateral.

So, sure, it makes sense that when we hear the word “power,” we instinctively recoil.

But I’m going to keep challenging this and hammering it home: Power itself isn’t dirty—it’s just being handled by a lot of grubby hands.

Power takes its shape from those who apply it. So if the “worst humans” keep clocking up most of the airtime, it’s no surprise others shy away.

Consultants, strategists, and solo Players get stuck lurking in the shadows, convinced that being “visible” or “influential” automatically makes you suspect. Too many incredible people keep playing on mute, hoping their genius will be discovered when the world is ready for it, and instead, they’re missing the game.

I understand the close connection between politics and power, but there’s more than one way to do power, and Positive Power is not political propaganda. It’s a force for good, and it’s absolutely essential if you want to build a business that actually changes anything.

How many of us haven’t looked at global power—political posturing, corporate dominance, all-consuming ego-fuelled machinations, and thought: “No thanks, I’mma pass”? 👀🙋🏽‍♀️

In the collective psyche and our societal groupthink, “powerful” equals dominant, manipulative, maybe (or probably) even dangerous.

We’re trained by schools, parents, business books, and bad bosses to believe that having power means becoming the company despot or the narcissist at the networking event.

The only alternative to power seems to be hiding, blending in with the crowd or the background, or worse, waiting for someone to give you permission to do your thing, so if it does go wrong, you have a fall-person.

What nobody’s saying is that the real cost of avoiding power isn’t just lost opportunity—it’s inevitable invisibility.

If you’re not willing to step forward and take up some space, you will become forgettable.

And you’ll have experienced this. You know that playing “nice” and “humble” doesn’t get you the client, the recognition, or the freedom you crave. It just gets you ghosted by the market, by your ideal clients, by everyone, except for your imposter syndrome. Yep, your impostor syndrome is out front, just living its best life. Bastard.

So I believe there’s a big ol’ canyon between politicised power—think manipulation, ego trips, backroom deals, and decisions that benefit the few rather than the many—and positive power, which is what we strive for as Power Players.

Again, our experience of Politicised Power means we see it (quite rightly) as being:

❌ Driven by self-interest, zero-sum thinking (where in order for one person to win, someone else needs to lose).  

❌ Built on secrets, spin, coercion, and favour-trading, right? Everyone’s just in this weird space, scratching each other's backs.  

❌ About raising your own profile by standing on the necks of others. It’s collateral damage; it doesn’t matter if a few people are hurt; this is for the greater good.    

❌ Constantly worried about being “found out” because there’s always something to hide. I can’t find a single mainstream politician who can answer a straightforward question with a straightforward answer. They’re trying to think five steps ahead in case they say something that opens them up to more scrutiny, so to combat this they answer in a way that just leaves things open, you know - just in case. 

Side note: Interestingly, this dodging manoeuvre doesn’t happen with politicians on the extreme end of their political spectrum. They're crystal clear about what they believe and the decisions they make. And while I’m highly unlikely to agree with what it is they’re saying, I ain’t mad about how direct and concise they are in the way they say it. You know exactly where you stand with these hooligans. Madness.

Anyway, contrast this with Positive Power (known in our universe as the Power Player way), where we see it being:  

✔️ Driven by expertise, impact, and the desire to uplift everyone at the table. What’s the saying, “a rising tide lifts all boats”? 

✔️ Built on transparency, facts, and honest communication, which goes hand in hand with taking accountability for what’s said and done.   

✔️ Strategic, yessir—but never to manipulate, only to clarify and attract the people we're best positioned to help. Using specific communications to connect quickly to those who need to hear the message  

✔️ Valuable. Whatever is being transferred through positive power makes others better. And positive power is not afraid to stand in the light; it doesn’t need to hide in the shadows.

However, here’s where it gets a bit murky and the crossover begins: 

The tools to amplify political power and positive power are scarily similar.

And that’s why some people have high hopes for politicians, believing they’re going to do the right thing, and have zero hope for those, usually in business, promoting positive power, because “they’re just like all the politicians and big wig CEOs who’ve wronged us in the past”.

In politics, campaigners use narrative, social proof, and repetition to influence the masses.

In business, we use storytelling, testimonials, and consistent client success to attract our ideal clients.

They’re very similar, but the difference is the direction—the intention behind the moves.

In politics, the aim of the game is “Win at All Costs”  

In the Power Player universe, the aim of the game is “Win on Principle, Deliver the Goods you Promised, Leave the Place Better Than You Found It.”

Because we’re not here to deceive, exploit, or manipulate for gain. We’re here to broadcast the truth confidently based on all the facts we have so far, and let the cards fall where they need to.

I have said in the past that being successful in your space is about domination, but I no longer believe that’s true.

Those who have known me long enough to have seen me during my career in entertainment will know that domination was my only goal. I felt then that you weren’t succeeding if you didn’t own everything.

I now know, (ten years later and a few laughter lines later), that power is not about being the loudest, the most aggressive, or the most intimidating. It’s not about controlling or governing everything. Power is about reach. It’s about having influence and creating impact beyond your immediate line of sight.

Again, I thought power was the ability to manoeuvre through everything in my jurisdiction. Actually, it’s the ability to manoeuvre through everything NOT in your jurisdiction.

And if you’re going to do this, and you’re committed to positive power, you have to be visible, vocal, and valiant about your ability to change the spaces you’re moving within. That’s how you attract the people you can actually help - it’s not by hammering them over the head or handling their objections like a boiler room clown.

If you want to be the go-to expert in your space? You need to be prepared to own your ideas and insights around how you can change things for the better, and you need to share these things out loud. 

If you want clients to choose you and not choke the moment you announce your fees? You need to be courageous enough to recognise that thing that makes you different from the rest and step into a market of one, holding your head high and keeping your standards higher so that positive POWER becomes your signature.

Hiding away, keeping quiet, or waiting for “the right moment” is self-sabotage dressed up as humility. Your holding back helps nobody. Not you, not your clients, not your industry.

1. It Builds True Authority (Not Fake Influence):  

When you operate from a place of positive power, without gimmicks. No “funnel hacks.” No doublespeak. Just real results you can repeat, then your reputation precedes you, and you become the default choice in your market

2. It Magnifies Your Impact:  

Consistently using the principles of positive power means you’ll attract better opportunities because you stand for something, have scruples, and you can back it up with substance.

This means you get to pick your clients, set your rates and shape the conversation in your industry, all in a way that allows you to do more based on the principles of positive power. It’s the world’s greatest virtuous circle, right? 

3. It Eliminates the Ick:  

When your power comes from actual expertise, transparent communication, and a commitment to making your clients successful, you can eliminate the ick - Is that what the kids say nowadays? The ick?

Basically, you don’t need the tricks and tactics of the “bros” and the “huns” because you don’t need to hide behind any sleaze. You’ve got receipts, goddammit!

4. It’s the Best Confidence Hack Ever:  

Repeatedly doing the thing - stepping up, standing out, and seeing that your expertise achieves results even beyond your own expectations is the real confidence builder.

That’s the “manifestation” we need to be focused on that nobody on Instagram wants to talk about. You can’t vision board your way to confidence or power. Confidence comes from getting knocked down, realising what you need to do differently next time and getting back up ready to go again. You don’t chant your way to power. You pick yourself up by the bootstraps and hike your arse over there.

5. It’s the Most Resilient Position on the Market:  

One thing we all know for sure is that power based on politicking is hella fragile and beyond exhausting. One bad client or story that might not paint you in the most positive light, and everything comes crashing down.

Those building on positive power, power that’s earned and embodied with transparency, have the defences of networks, reputations and powerful practices that don’t fall over in the wind. So when the world decides it wants to jazz things up (hello 2020s), you stay strong, rooted in truth. It’s resilience on a nuclear level.

Ahhhmeannn…You can hide forever, but there isn’t a huge amount you can do from under your quilt.

Business is not a spectator sport. It’s a contact sport, so you gotta get out there on the field at some point, and power helps you play better.

You say you want to help people, as well as your own situation, but to help, you need to be heard. And the world is a noisy place, with attention spans that are microscopic. You need some level of power to amplify what you’re doing and how you’re doing it, so that the people you want to hear you can actually hear you.

You should care about power because to do great things, you need to be recognised as having power (for all the right reasons, of course.)

And the great thing is, when someone like you gains power and uses it for good and ethically, you make it safer for others, too. You become the role model; your success is the one we aspire to emulate. You’re the proof that not all power is corrupt, and that it can be used to shape, support, and build.

So, how do we kickstart this accumulation of positive power? How do we make sure winning on principle, delivering the goods we’ve promised and leaving this place better than we found it stays at the forefront of our minds?

1. Firstly, You Have to Own Your Expertise—Out Loud.  

It’s yours. It’s unique to you, nobody has your expertise, your combination of experience, skills and knowledge, so you own this anyway - why not talk about it? No, you won’t always feel “ready.” But if you wait for permission, or for the situation to be“perfect,” or qualification #27, you’ll wait forever. You’ve already been waiting forever, right? You know your stuff—get vocal and visible with it. You don’t need to yell, you just need to share it constantly and consistently. And proudly.  

2. Next up, tell the Truth, not the tale-even if that tale makes for a good story.  

Your audience is hungry for candour. They want truth. They want openness. Show them your receipts. If you don’t have receipts, get receipts. Be transparent about both your wins and your learning curves. Having a reputation for being straight-talking becomes its own source of power.

3. Find the Win-Win Outcomes. Then Champion Them Like Crazy. 

If your approach genuinely helps your clients or your audience while it helps you or makes you feel good, you’ll never need to “convince” or “manipulate” anyone. Power is magnified when everyone leaves the table stronger; it’s never diminished.

4. Set Them Boundaries, Baby  

Power is as much about what you allow in—and what you keep out. So what you say “yes” to, AND what you say “no” to. And your triggerfinger should be on “no” so you can respond quickly and clearly to anything that doesn’t fit who you are, what you do, and the type of results you want to create.

5. Remember: Whether Political or Positive, Power Is a Practice, Not a Possession.  

You don’t “get” power one time, then coast on it. You can’t own Power; you can own the elements that combine to create the matter that we bestow power upon, but it’s not a quality or characteristic that belongs to you. Power is a social construct; it exists because we, the people, say it does. It’s not static, it’s shaped by our collective beliefs, cultural norms and current knowledge. It’s present in every interaction. You, therefore, get to build, express, and reinforce it with every interaction, every bold decision, every time you show up ready to serve in your industry by being confident in your lane. It will never belong to you, but it can be a sustainable energy source that allows you to do phenomenal things.

I might have gone off piste there a bit, but what I’m trying to say is:

Don’t let old narratives push you into shrinking.

Don’t let the negative connotations prevent you from reaching your potential.

The world needs more powerful people willing to use their power responsibly and effectively to do the right things.

Choose action over silence, courage over hiding, and think about the ethics of influence over easy shortcuts.

Step forward. Stand out. We need to see you. 

And I’m telling you, if you don’t, someone with less integrity will—and then the cycle of “power is bad” continues. 

The revolution starts now, wherever you are—even if you’re the only one in your corner right now.

So long as you remember, you are not a dictator, a despot, or a manipulator. You’re a Power Player playing to win, and you’re doing so for the right reasons, on your terms, for your people, for the greater good.

That’s the Power Done Right. That’s Positive Power. 

We’ve gotta stop letting the world’s broken definition of power keep you from the stage you’re built for. Because it’s way past time we started making power the most positive, profitable, and purposeful tool in business, and we can only do this one Player at a time.

Your move, Player.