On Small Powers, and the Anatomy of Systems

Step 1: Name the (actual) game
Step 2: Choose how you want to play it.

Mark Carney's Davos speech went viral.

Understandably.

On January 20th, at the World Economic Forum annual gathering, Canada's new Prime Minister spoke of power and agency in a way that is rippling across the globe, and resonating with people that would not normally pay attention to a politician's speech.

The reasons are countless — some more obvious than others.

It's surely the kind of speech and position many of us wished to hear from our country's Prime Minister (or politicians in general). It's also extremely accurate in language, while offering a straightforward and out-of-the-box take on the current state of things, especially compared to the mainstream narratives.

It's nuanced, yet precise. Political, yet breaking deeply established myths.

But there's something else that to me makes this speech worth of our attention:

It presents an alternative and extremely interesting perspective on Power.

The key points

I'm working on an in-depth analysis of Mark Carney's speech and its (many) key insights. But if I had to highlight the main ones, I'd say they are:

1. he takes the mainstream narrative on the current paradigm shift, and reframes it: it's not transition, it's rupture. And that means a very different set of rules and dynamics.
2. he reframes the profiles of players (in this case, countries), and their true agency: there are big powers, and medium powers. And medium powers can choose to reinforce the dynamic established by the big powers, or "take the sign down" and establish a new one.
3. he is extremely pragmatic: if we want to reclaim our agency and trace alternative trajectories, there are costs. But these costs are cheaper than the alternative scenarios, and there are effective ways to approach them — especially relationally.

And this is key.

Because he didn't just share insights, but operating principles that can be applied not just to global or national politics level, but in our own life too.

The power dynamic he describes, the established paradigm we consciously or unconsciously feed, and the agency we can reclaim play out at all levels:

• personal
• relational
• organisational / systemic

He addressed things at systemic level. Of course.

But what does that stand on?

Our personal and relational embodiment of that same established paradigm — or another.

How?

This too is mentioned in his speech.

• existing systems don't exist on their own. They are held up by the rituals and reinforced behaviours we choose to perform. Interrupt or withdraw those behaviours, and the agreed-upon system crumbles.
• we're taught to see only the chessboard — the big players game, made of duality, and competition. With us, or against us. Win or lose. But the moment we step away from it, a third way can be carved with different principles.
• to make a third way takes pragmatism, not just ideals. A clear understanding of what it takes, and how to develop the ability to withstand that pressure, is necessary to steer things in another direction.

And then my absolute favorite:

the reframing of power from a big-players-only game, to a game that medium players can navigate in a different way.

Medium players have a different seize and set of resources compared to big players, sure. But also a different agility, leverage and potential agency.

Why does this matter?

"And the question for middle powers (...) is not whether to adapt to the new reality – we must. The question is whether we adapt by simply building higher walls, or whether we can do something more ambitious."

It's not about whether these storms will hit our shores and vessels.

They will.

In fact, they are.

It's about whether we'll recognize the true potential of smaller players to create (in Buckminster Fuller terms) a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.

Mark Carney talks about it in terms of big VS medium players. Which, considering he's talking about Canada, makes sense.

But he's not the only one talking about big VS smaller powers. Some of my other favorites are:

• Douglas Rushkoff, with his take on the importance of not falling into the trap of thinking that system change is about fighting against the big powers on their own terms, and the value of decentralised smaller powers.
• Josh Schrei in the Emerald Podcast episode On Powers, Big and Small — who covers animistic, ancestral and physics-based perspectives on the characteristics of big and small powers (and what happens when they meet).
• Bayo Akomolafe, with his recent piece on Becoming Water and the power of recognizing that organising against a system feeds it, while learning to dissolve allows us to reclaim agency and create alternatives.

And more.

To me, they are all talking about the same thing, and is not just power.

It's the true Anatomy of Systems.

And while I love to hear a Canadian politician putting this on the table — as with anything that catches my attention, I'm left with the only question really worth asking:

How can we work with this?

How can we — people, creatives, founders, organizational leaders and activists take these principles and apply them in our sphere of influence?

Because, ultimately, again: that system-level layer doesn't stand on its own.

It stands on how we see and use power in the personal, relational and organizational dimension of our life. And to shift that, it takes intentional work and practice.

Things you can do:

1 — Deep inquiry.

• In your life or current circumstances, who are the big powers?
• what is the chessboard, the black/white established game?
• what would it take to withdraw your energy, and create a third way?
• how can you develop ability to withstand the pressure?

2 — Understand and improve your current Power State

• map your system with the Tree of Power — my free assessment tool
• reclaim vitality and presence with my collection of practices

3 — Join us in practice.

I host one(-ish) session per week on personal, relational or systemic dimensions of Power — at the The Moon Dojo. An online space I crafted for us to come together, reclaim our attention and recalibrate how we see and navigate power.

Thank you for being here 🤍

Hope to see you in practice

With love,
~M