"Power resides where men believe it resides. It’s a trick, a shadow on the wall. And, a very small man can cast a very large shadow."
— Lord Varys

Power is an illusion. Leadership, status, authority — they’re all made up by humans trying to establish some kind of hierarchy in the world.

But they’re all fake. We’re all human beings that breath oxygen, drink water, and eat food. We can all talk and physically fight (some better than others). At the end of the day, there’s nothing concrete separating you from the leaders people in society.

Take that as an encouragement to be more ambitious in your life:

• Pursue that big goal you’ve always dreamed of

• Speak up with your ideas at work

• Be confident and assertive in conversations

You have the same right to be a leader as everyone else, even those who are currently “above“ you. The only thing that’s stopping you is the illusion of power which you can break with this shift in mindset.

“Any man who must say, "I am the king" is no true king.”
— Tywin Lannister

If you truly have power (skill, intelligence, authority, or any other power quality), then you have no need to tell people about it. Your actions speak for themselves.

Drop the words and lead with your actions. The people will see it and treat you as a person of power accordingly.

“Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armour, and it can never be used to hurt you.”
— Tyrion Lannister

Your uniqueness is your power. It gives you the ability to do things better than others with much less effort because the skills are natural to you.

Ignore the people who try to make fun of you for your uniqueness, they’re just jealous. Instead, identify those areas where you are different and put in extra effort to master them. Doing so will give you an unbeatable advantage — no one else can do what you do because they’re not you.