People ask me why I enjoy a simple, “bottom of the food chain” existence. Those who ask obviously don’t understand the power of servant leadership or where real power comes from.

A real knowledge of power and the power structure always comes from the bottom up. It’s why it’s a good thing to start your career sweeping floors or in the mail room and move up. Poor people have always understood the power structure of rich people better than the rich understood the poor. Blacks have always had a firmer grasp of white culture than whites have of black culture. Women have always understood men better than women.

Our pets and animals understand us or notice our habits much more than we notice theirs. Our children know our moods and buttons better than we know theirs.

When any culture begins to study the culture of another group or race, it’s a sign that they perceive the power of that culture growing. When women’s studies came into vogue in the 70’s, then later classes and degrees in Black studies - it was not a sign that we were becoming more accepting of what had been a “lower class.” Society recognized that women and blacks were becoming more powerful.

Any time a person must adapt, please or get along with another - the tendency is to move to understand them. Thus, the powerless or less powerful are always in a more powerful position. The leader who studies those he/she wants to lead is always a better leader when they understand the culture, needs and lifestyle of their tribe from having been in their position. When men fresh out of college were given Lieutenant’s bars and put into leadership positions without understanding the culture of the enlisted man that caused problems among troops in Vietnam. Those who were savvy enough to learn that culture or to depend on their men to teach them their ways fared far better.

I’ve always made friends with secretaries and maintenance men and mail room clerks. They are the power in any company because they not only know the culture, they are in positions to influence it.

Whether you’re a marketer, a parent, an employee - look around at the culture and power structure around you. Do you understand it/them better than they understand you? Power begins with understanding. Once you understand the culture, the people, the process - then you can lead. Jesus Christ “got it.” The most influential and remembered man of the ages, he owned nothing, worked nowhere and had a simple message. He operated from the bottom up. He knew his followers, lived their life and understood their culture. He understood the Romans and the power structure as well - “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, the things that are Gods to God.” Leadership. Power. Influence. It’s all power from the bottom up.