The Framework of Strategic Advantage

To me, leverage is one of the most magnificent things in the world. It’s the unsung hero of career trajectory - yet I rarely meet people who truly know how to create it or utilize it effectively.

What is Leverage?

To put a definition on it: Leverage is the strategic power to influence people or situations to get what you want.

Creating Leverage to Build Your Trajectory

Leverage comes in many shapes and forms. Because it operates differently from sector to sector, I will only dwell on examples I have personally executed to avoid any assumptions.

One of the easiest ways to create leverage is simple: Be the person who can build or do high-value work completely solo.

To quote Action Bronson:

"Everything I do myself, I'm using that for leverage."

When I first stepped into a high-level c-suite role after an acquisition, I took an income cut compared to what I made when running my own business. That was fine. I knew I was just entering a bigger playing field, and I was going to work my tail off to build bigger leverage.

I did everything myself. I built software for a multitude of departments, said yes to every complex problem, and asked for as little help as possible. It meant 12-hour days, every day, for the first ten months. But it worked. Soon, the company’s modern technology - the exact systems getting the board excited - lived and died by me.

Without diving into details I’ll save for later, I used this exact positioning for salary, equity, and bonus discussions. When you build leverage like this, the traditional corporate hierarchy fades away. You aren't playing political games with people who have merely coasted on tenure. You hold the cards.

Think about the math from the CEO's perspective: If I ask for a $25k raise and they turn it down, I walk. Half the roadmap stalls. How long does a replacement take to get up to speed? What is the cost of development delays? How much ground do competitors gain in the meantime?

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that paying the premium is infinitely cheaper than letting the system collapse.

That is the essence of leverage. It’s not about loud control or constant demands; it’s about the unsaid realities. It’s holding the cards so cleanly that you never have to play them in a meeting - because everyone else in the room already knows what they are.

The Scale of Leverage

While the example above is large-scale, leverage doesn't require a grand scheme. It can be a collection of small cards you quietly add to your chest.

The most common small-scale leverage play people pass up is internal ownership.

In the tech and automation space, new efficiencies often threaten legacy jobs. The natural instinct for mid-level managers is to shut down, drag their feet, and act out of fear. They think hiding from the change protects them.

Here is the alternative play: Imagine an outside team proposes an automation stack that can downsize a ten-person department down to five, saving the company $350k in overhead.

Don't fight it. Instead, step up, take internal leadership of the implementation, and become the exclusive bridge between the outside team and internal operations. By guarding that communication channel and owning the transition, you create instant leverage. Your value isn't tied to the old manual hours anymore; it's tied to the efficiency itself.

Own the internal communication. Own the frameworks. Own the critical supplier relationships. Piece by piece, you build a collection that makes you a powerful player.

Leverage, Mindset and Being the Unassuming Victor.

Building this type of leverage requires a specific mindset. You cannot be afraid of ownership.

Be fierce, be hyper-competitive, add responsibility to your plate, and guard it. Don't do what low-level players do and shy away from accountability because it feels safer. Responsibility isn't a burden - it's the raw material for creating leverage.

Importantly, if you are currently in the lower brackets looking to work your way up, remain unassuming. The players above you - the passive managers or cruising executives - rarely think about leverage, and they certainly won't expect you to understand it. They will delegate work to you without a second thought because they've become complacent, coasting toward retirement. Take it all. Say yes to everything, absorb the responsibilities they are trying to pass off, and seize internal ownership at every opportunity. Quietly build your collection of leverage right under their noses. By the time they realize the game you're playing, you'll already be competing for their spot in the food chain.