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We sit down with executive coach Kisha Wynter to name the leadership skill almost no one teaches: power literacy, the ability to navigate organizational power dynamics and build influence without formal authority. Kisha breaks down the mystery of why top performers still get stuck and how plugging “power leaks” helps leaders speak up, advocate for their teams, and drive enterprise impact. Plus, we explore and discuss:

• power literacy as a core leadership competency beyond hard work and expertise
• why cross-functional influence determines promotions and initiative traction
• the shared responsibility between leaders and organizations to build this capability
• reframing power as values-based and generative rather than destructive
• power leaks as learned survival responses, not personal failure
• common leaks like hesitation, over-accommodation, weak boundaries, and avoiding visibility
• practical ways to plug leaks through preparation, speaking early, and voice practice
• decoding the visible org chart versus the invisible influence web
• “who influences the influencers” and why decisions happen before meetings
• framing, trigger words, and adapting language to organizational context

Find this dynamic leader on LinkedIn by @Kisha Winter, or on her website, yourpoweronleashed.com.

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Until next time, keep doing great things!