Who Has More Power, a King or a Jester?

Does a person need to have a title such as king or CEO in order to have power?

The simple answer is no. It all depends on how a person exerts the power that they do have.

Through my experience in life, I realized that there are people who exert power. yet don’t hold a leadership position. Also, I’ve noticed other people who are in leadership positions, and only exercise very little power.

When I was a soldier in the US Army, I noticed this. In the Army I was a Weapons of Mass Destruction specialist. When I was assigned to my Army Company, I was the only one who specialized in my field. I instantly became an advisor to the top leadership in the company when it came to defense.

Johann Goethe, a successful writer, poet, businessman, and state administrator understood this. He had a quote from his book “The Sorrows of Werther” that perfectly illustrates this point:

How many kings are governed by their ministers- how many ministers by their secretaries? Who, in such cases, is really the chief? He, as it seems to me, who can see through the others, and possesses strength or skill enough to make their power or passions subservient to the execution of his own designs.”

-Johann von Goethe “The Sorrow of Young Werther”

In other words, titles such as king, minister, or secretary don’t really matter, according to Goethe. What really matters is that you are able to understand the motivations of other people and can use their power to enact your own plans.

It’s not the title that gives you power and importance.

Depending on their abilities, a jester may be more powerful than a king.

References:

Goethe, Johann. (1774). The Sorrows of Young Werther. Dover Thrift Editions.