Power Brokers

 

As a "Poopie" during my first week of training at the Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS), there was no doubt in my mind about who controlled the course of events for my life for the next 14 weeks. It was 5 a.m. on a chilly Pensacola morning and I was six inches from the deck (floor for you civilian types) in the midst of doing a never-ending series of pushups. As I began to tire, the loud harsh voice of the Marine Drill Instructor screamed into my ears as he reminded me that quitters go home.

While serving in the military, I grew accustomed to relying on the chain of command. Right, wrong or indifferent, I always knew where the buck stopped, usually at the Commanding Officer. As I was promoted up the ranks it was always easy to determine who must be ultimately convinced that a project was worthwhile.

While the chain of command certainly was clear in the military, it was not so obvious in the business world that I moved on to. People come and go and office politics often made it difficult to determine who really held the power in an organization. Many times, titles alone don't convey who holds the true power in an organization. While this may cause some snickers, I have found that sometimes, secretaries and executive assistants are the key to getting something approved or moved forward.

Understanding who holds the power amongst your stakeholders is a key …

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