Leverage: The Real Currency in Organizations

This is my thought experiment in writing an article or a short post in a conversational manner. I loved the book “The courage to be disliked”, and i have tried to mimic the style in presenting an argument and a counter argument making it a lot more personable.

A conversation between Aarav and Abheer

It is a Sunday afternoon. Aarav and Abheer are seated at a quiet coffee shop. They have been talking about work, influence, and what really moves the needle within organizations.

What Really Moves Things

Aarav: You know. what I’ve come to believe lately?

Abheer: Go on. Tell me what is your new theory, opinion or your latest Aarav-ism?

Aarav: See, i have come to believe that leverage is the only real currency inside an organization. It is the only thing if one possesses can move the needle.

Abheer: Only currency? Not skills, not relationships, not visibility?

Aarav: Nope. Those are symptoms. Leverage is the root. It gets you autonomy, respect, recognition, better compensation and more influence. Everything else is just a wrapper.

Abheer: Bold claim. I am not convinced yet but lets talk more.

The Case for Leverage

Aarav: See, from how i am trying to put it. Leverage isn’t about threats or politics. It’s quiet. It’s earned. It is the ability to influence outcomes because of the value you consistently bring.

Abheer: Define “value.” That is such an overloaded term.

Aarav: You are right. It is. But, at a broad level, it usually shows up in four forms:

  • Competence: You consistently deliver.
  • Character: You’re trusted when things get hard.
  • Context: You understand the system, not just your role.
  • Network: You know who to call — and they pick up.

Abheer: Hmm, Okay, so this isn’t about positional power. It’s about contribution and trust.

Aarav: Exactly!. And I’ve got two examples to ground this and base my theory on (amongst others and my experience ofcourse).

📜 Vasili Arkhipov: Character in a situation of crisis

Aarav: In 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a Soviet sub was being depth-charged. Two officers agreed to launch a nuclear torpedo. One more signature was needed.

Abheer: And?

Aarav: Vasili Arkhipov said no. He wasn’t the most senior, but was well respected, he had; trust, clarity, and calm. His decision may have prevented World War III.

Abheer: That’s leverage — not loud, not formal — just earned authority in a critical moment.

🧮 Katherine Johnson: Precision as soft power

Aarav: At NASA, Katherine Johnson was the mathematician astronauts trusted the most. Before John Glenn orbited Earth, he asked for her to verify the calculations manually — even after computers had run them.

Abheer: Hmm. Quiet credibility. It must have been built by performing at the highest level though isn’t it? That’s the kind of leverage that shows up when it matters.

Aarav: Absolutely! You show up everyday at the top of your game and you perform, quietly and steadily and gradually build credibility and that in turn is a position of leverage. Let me get to the thought experiment of how this influence actually grows over time, sort of a ripple.

The Stages of Leverage

1. Executional Leverage

“You’re trusted to do your job exceptionally well.”

Aarav: This is the base layer. You execute with clarity, quality, and speed. People know you deliver.

Abheer: So, no frills. Just solid work. You are considered reliable.

Aarav: Yes, and, you earn it by doing the work that matters — repeatedly and quietly.

How to grow this:

  • Fix things before you’re asked.
  • Be consistent, not just clever.
  • Own your outcomes.

2. Relational Leverage

“People trust you — and want to work with you.”

Aarav: Now your influence expands into how you support others. You’re the go-to person when things feel fuzzy.

Abheer: Hmm. The one that glue people. Steady hands in chaos. Teams don’t work without them.

How to grow this:

  • Give credit, take the blame. Offer help freely.
  • Listen more than you speak.
  • Make others feel safe to fail.

3. Contextual Leverage

“You understand the system, not just your role in it.”

Aarav: You see how things connect — talent management, techology, customer, business, finance. You anticipate and/or prepare yourself and then, not just react.

Abheer: I see the folks who stop asking “what should I do?” — and start asking “what needs to happen?”

How to grow this:

  • Build cross-functional impact, understand other functions that are under operations.
  • Ask second-order questions.
  • Get involed in upstream and downstream functions of the responsibility.

4. Credibility Leverage

“Your voice carries weight beyond your immediate circle.”

Aarav: Now you are being consulted early. Not because of your title but, because of your track record.

Abheer: I see, like Arkhipov — when trust, not position, steers the ship.

How to grow this:

  • Make thoughtful decisions that age well.
  • Own your mistakes and recover visibly.
  • Teach what you’ve learned — with clarity.

5. Legacy Leverage

“You shape what gets remembered — and repeated.”

Aarav: You have outgrown your role. Your ideas, systems, or mentorship live on. You have become part of how the organization works even after you’re gone.

Abheer: Hmm, Marie Curie. Two Nobel Prizes, but more importantly work ethic, discoveries and a pioneer in the field of radioactivity. She changed how science was done.

How to grow this:

  • Share generously what you have learned.
  • Teach others.
  • Build systems that work without you.

Abheer: So… this ripple model is strong. But I have questions.

Aarav: Haha, I was counting on it.

Is Leverage Enough?

“Leverage Can Be Fragile”

Abheer: What gives you leverage today might vanish tomorrow. Org shifts. New managers. Tech changes. And then it is reset.

Aarav: True. Leverage isn’t permanent. It has to evolve with the environment. (Maybe the final stage is but not always if its a completely different playing field.)

“Power Without Privilege Isn’t Always Enough”

Abheer: And some people build leverage, but the system doesn’t see it. Bias, politics, distance — they all skew who gets credit.

Aarav: Thats right, even earned leverage might not convert into real influence. I have experienced this.

Abheer: Exactly. The playing field is never equal.

“Not All Influence Looks Like Leverage”

Abheer: What about emotional labor? The quiet people holding culture together? The ones who check in after hard meetings? That’s leverage too. It just doesn’t get headlines.

Aarav: I’m not sure that is leverage but, yes, that is invisible work. goes unrecognized. But, it is essential. Essential to the organization atleast.

“Leverage Can Turn Toxic”

Abheer: And let’s be honest — leverage can corrupt. I’ve seen people hoard influence, block change, become bottlenecks.

Aarav: Yes, yes, leverage without self-awareness without a shared goal between you and the org becomes a form of control.

“Teams Build Greatness — Not Just Individuals”

Abheer: And Aarav, the biggest flaw is that this whole conversation has focused on individual leverage. But most meaningful work is done in teams.

Aarav: haha yeah, if you build an org that only rewards personal leverage you get egos, not ecosystems

Shared Power Is Still Power

Aarav: Okay. Let me say it better now.

Leverage isn’t the only currency — but it’s the most earned, most durable, and the most compoundable one.

Abheer: And it only matters if you use it well.

Aarav: Yes, to create space, to elevate others, to shape systems that work — with or without you.

Abheer: That’s not just leverage. That is a legacy.