Hi Alan. There are so many things I like about this post.

First, brilliant use of the battery and solar panel as examples of "power."

I like that you use the word "bestow" around token power. You describe that with token power you can give and take away. And with token power, it can be bestowed (given) and unbestowed (taken away) from you! I think some leaders in title get in trouble by forgetting this. If they understood the "earned power" piece, it wouldn't matter.

And... I like that you acknowledge that even earned power needs to be recharged - we have to take care of every leg of that triad, and if I may add, take care of ourselves too.

Early in my career I made the mistake of giving too much of myself away in order to: get results, have integrity, and be a nice person. As a result I became irritable and drained. I guess I actually didn't preserve my integrity because that means taking care of myself too.

Thanks for a fun and thought-provoking read, Alan. Keep it up!