Building Influence and Leverage Through Strategic Knowledge Application...

In our world, full of the internet and AI, virtually everyone has access to a colossal wealth of knowledge at our fingertips.

And we all know the quote,

“Knowledge is power.”

Then why is everyone not powerful?

I like to rephrase that quote to...

“Consistently applied, situationally appropriate knowledge accumulates power.” - Michael Bauman

Knowledge without consistent application is like cobwebs in the attic; they may have served a function a long time ago, but now they are tattered husks, brushed away to make room for more useless clutter.

Situationally appropriate knowledge is closer to wisdom. The person fresh out of an MBA might have a lot of knowledge, but the veteran business owner knows when and how to apply that knowledge to achieve the desired result.

When knowledge is consistently applied in appropriate situations, power is accumulated.

The college graduate might be consistently saving money (and accumulating power or leverage as a result), but the retiree who has consistently applied this knowledge over decades has amassed substantial power and influence.

So, if you want to accumulate more power or influence, what knowledge do you need to apply in what situations consistently?