Power – that most mistrusted of capabilities. The author considers the attributes of power and leadership, and demonstrates when they are, or are not, put to best use. The 19th-century British politician, Baron Acton, famously stated that: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The paradox of power is that, while we need to use it to achieve anything, many of us in today’s world distrust it and often deliberately avoid it. To John Gardner: “In this country [the USA] – and in most other democracies – power has such a bad name that many good people persuade themselves…
