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Power Without the Podium: Leading from the Front vs Leading from Behind
Paperback
Publisher: Notion Press
Published: Feb 16 2026
Pages: 424
Weight: 1.24
Height: 0.94 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Most people think leadership lives on the podium: the confident voice, the charismatic presence, the public reassurance that calms a room. But the most consequential power often operates elsewhere, in quiet pre-meetings, invisible handshakes, trust networks, coalitions, timing, and the small decisions that shape reality long before anyone applauds.
Power Without the Podium is a psychologically grounded, sharp-witted guide to how influence truly works in organisations, families, communities, and everyday systems. Dr Krishna Athal introduces a clear framework for two essential leadership postures: leading from the front and leading from behind. One offers visibility, containment, narrative, and decision clarity. The other builds alignment, trust, leverage, and structures that hold when the spotlight moves on.
You will learn why some teams look energised yet drift, why others deliver yet feel emotionally unheld, and why crises can turn leadership into theatre. Most importantly, you will gain practical tools to choose your posture deliberately, protect truth and dignity, and build cultures where people can speak honestly without fear.
Real power is not being seen. It is building a room that still holds when you leave it.
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