We asked 29 noteworthy voices of our time to weigh in on the state of influence.
This is what they had to say.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.
Now is the time to re-examine power.
Here, they share what they’ve learned about it.
How they came by it.
The ways they wield it.
And what, in this moment, “power” means to them.
How do you define power?
When I was younger, I thought power meant having things, having ego, not asking for help.
Now, power means being able to clearly define my weaknesses more so than my strengths.
You’ve been a contestant, guest judge, and now you are the host ofTop Chef.
What have all those roles taught you about power?
That it can come in all different forms.
When I was a contestant, I did not trust myself at all.
I was second-guessing myself as a person, not feeling worthy.
As much as I am confident now in my role as host, I came to this incredibly insecure.
But my insecurities are always going to be a part of me.
What I can control is how I parlay them into being something helpful.
Therein lies the power.
The first five minutes of filming in Milwaukee [Wisconsin], I was incredibly nervous.
There was an external pressure of replacing [former host Padma Lakshmi].
But she was her and I am me.
As the host ofTop Chefyou’re more visible within the franchise.
Have you thought about how that might change your actions because you have more power?
Power is, in a lot of ways, not changing at all.
No matter what my job is, who I am remains the same.
There is power in knowing I am a queer Asian woman, a Korean adoptee.
That doesn’t change.
I don’t need to tell myself,Now when this airs, you’re going to do this.
That’s not how I think about it.
But before young people can do any of that, they’ve got to have a sturdy foundation.
Their bodies have to be healthy so that their minds and spirits can soar.
That’s what my Let’s Move!
initiative was all about when I was First Lady.
I don’t get intimidated and I don’t take a stab at act like a man.
you oughta be authentic, because it’s when you’re not, you get called out very quickly.
You’ve just had a baby, how are you going to manage travel?"
If you are really good at what you do, that naturally gives you power.
And to know what you really want, you must know yourself.
Forgive the invasive question; I only ask because Isodid not.
(Shout out to my therapist!)
Here’s my crash course in knowing your deepest self:
Don’t assume that you do.
How much of what you think, do, or feel is influenced by forces outside of you?
Take time to be in your own mind.
What was the last time you were zero percent distracted?
Do not judge or cut off your thoughts.
Nothing bad will happen from thinking something privately in your own mind.
This is where you’ll find any buried feelings, which you’ll then be able to reconcile.
Don’t underestimate a woman who has gained clarity of strength.
I could feel a calm settle in as my own self-worth stretched exponentially.
Our disabilities shine light on disparity.
My character has grown through essential love and support.
The traumatized hold so much gratitude, love, and a hope to be free if given a map.
I pray to be a map of character.
My superpower is what I found in support, community, faith, and tools of awareness.
I gladly give it all right back to you all.
Power over my image means:We believe in the power of storytelling and the power of our fans.
There is very little that we do not share and there is power in that.
It has become clear that our fans value that in us.
Remaining true to myself has become more important as I’ve moved through my career.
There’s the political power of social movements.
There’s the political power of platform, and in those ways I feel powerful.
That power is ignited and activated in the remembering and not the acquiring.
Remembering that I am the embodiment of possibility, born out of impossible circumstances.
Remembering the ancestral wisdom that we are always the altar and not the sacrifice.
For me, power emerges when we come together, recognizing our interconnectedness and interdependence.
As a theater maker and community organizer, I marvel at the power of storytelling.
What is more powerful than that?
I coined a word that became part of the zeitgeistand still is, whatever it means to you.
The most surprising thing I’ve learned about power is its ability to affect change.
I grew up with a very clear understanding that power was not in the realm of possibility for me.
How does doing things outside your “lane” give you power?
I am driven by concerns of poverty and disadvantage, and who doesn’t have access.
I’m always traveling in the same direction.
Part of writing is narrative building, telling stories, shaping vision.
That’s the responsibility of the writer but also an effective leader.
The old adage is that too much power is a bad thing.
But you also need power to do good in the world and enact change.
How do you find the balance between those two ideas?
If all you’re doing is hoarding power, that is a problem.
I see the acquisition of power as a shared opportunity.
What I get, I should be able to then multiply by spreading to more people.
I worry less about hoarding power and more about sharing power.
In 1981, I had just made my big break starring in the original production ofDreamgirlson Broadway.
Simultaneously, AIDS was growing into an epidemic.
My friends would be sick one day and dead the next.
I spoke out by creating The Diva Foundation to fight stigma and bring awareness to transmission prevention of HIV/AIDS.
For me, channeling power comes from a deep sense of conviction and genuine desire for positive change.
It’s about amplifying voices that often go unheard and being a catalyst for meaningful conversations and action.
So, in a way, I find strength in knowing that my single voice can make a difference.
Kim Petras: Singer-songwriter
Power to me is being on stage.
These songs really pick me up before I perform every night.
They make me feel like I am strong enough to face anything.
Go Off, Doja Cat
Not Fair, Lily Allen
Alien Superstar, Beyonce
Bad Girls, M.I.A.
How did moving behind the camera give you power over your own career?
I want to not only have more control over the final products but also to create my own opportunities.
I don’t want to sit back and wait for the universe to deliver an opportunity to me.
If I can influence the media or how women or Latinos are portrayed, that’s powerful.
What did being in the director’s chair for the major filmFlamin' Hotteach you about power?
There is no greater position of power than giving opportunities to department heads and executing your vision.
That position of hiring is sacred to me.
You’re incredibly active in politics.
Where do you find power in that space?
The biggest myth is that politicians hold power.
I don’t speak for women or the Latino community.
I want others to feel empowered on their own.
Being powerful isn’t about what restaurant you’ve got the option to get into.
It’s knowing that you have a platform and people are listening.
How are you using it for good?
For me, it’s in the form of allyshiphaving a voice for people who don’t have one.
Your brand of comedy often goes hand in hand with kindness and open-heartedness.
How does that key in of humor translate to power?
You hear phrases like “killing with kindness” and that’s what it is.
I can still kill it but not be an asshole or disparage a whole community.
It’s lazy when comedians say, “We can’t say anything anymore.”
Power is giving myself the space to be and also giving other people space to be.
Since day one, I’ve had the mindset of pushing boundaries and challenging perceived societal norms.
I look at the power and ability to achieve purpose and affect meaningful change.
That took a lot of consciousness.
I’m most joyful when I’m dancing.
You’d get this feeling that lends to your spirit.
The biggest lie about power:That everybody has it.
That’s not true.
it’s possible for you to’t just meditate or say the right words and have power.
It’s a rare commodity and it doesn’t happen to many.
They tell kids that everybody’s a winner, there are no losers here.
But that’s not true and it’s not helping.
It creates an illusion.
It reminds me why I started.
Crystallize, Lindsey Stirling
Lindsey’s music taps into some ancestral wisdom and energy.
Free Your Mind, En Vogue
This song is a legit bop but also has a profound message.
It taught me that you’re free to make something mainstream but also say something real.
Take Me or Leave Me, Idina Menzel and Fredi Walker
Look, I’m aRenthead.
Ready or Not, Fugees
Duh.
All too often, victims and survivors don’t get justice.
In my case, that story had been hijacked from me.
The things she hoped for, the things she wanted for herself.
I trust other people because I respect their instincts and choices.
I keep this note in my phone for when I feel defeated.
June Jordan
Understanding that:“Generosity is more than just ‘giving up.’
Generosity generates its power from the gesture of letting go.
Words hold so much power.
Their meaning crystallizes perceptions that shape our beliefs, drive our behaviors, and ultimately, create our world.
Courage:A lot of courage.
This is not time to be feckless.
Remembering that:If you are lucky enough life is a long game and your power is forever expanding.
Hunter Harris: Journalist; Screenwriter
You often write about celebrities and notable figures.
What has the experience taught you about power?
A lot of people conflate being famous with having power and that has never felt the same to me.
In what instances do you feel like you have power?
When I’m angry.
Rage is a very powerful emotion for me.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received on power?
I’ve always felt that.
There’s pressure to be very visible showing your accomplishments online.
I’m working all the time on things people can’t necessarily see and there’s power in that.
If using your voice to do the right thing was easy, everyone would be doing it.
You have to have a certain level of courage to walk a tightrope with no safety net.
What’s the biggest misconception about power?
That is lacks vulnerability and is impenetrable.
To use your power effectively you have to be malleable and open to change and evolution.
How are you trying to redistribute power with your reality TV union effort?
I don’t think I am redistributing power, necessarily.
This new world order is very scary to the dinosaurs who are on the verge of extinction.
I find myself glancing at these in moments of adversity.
“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.”
Babe Ruth
“Start where you are.
Use what you have.
Do what you’re free to.”
Arthur Ashe
“You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.”
Power means nothing if you are not able to use your access to help other people.
When I think of all of the people I look up to, I realize they are kingmakers.
They are the geniuses credited with discovering some of the world’s best talent.
They are less interested in helping themselves and more interested in serving community.
That’s what power means to me.
I’ve lived that experience being raised by working-class parents in a small town in Mississippi.
I carry these stories in my heart and am determined to be power at its best on their behalf.
Amanda Nguyen: Civil Rights Activist
Power is about agency, the freedom to be.
The freedom to choose the life you want to live.
If we examine our daily lives, how many of our choices are directed by conditions?
Let’s take an example, a quaint one, of walking down the street.
Ask a woman late at night if she is doing the calculations of how to be safe.
Is she thinking about keys in her hands?
Is she thinking about who to have on speed dial?
Is this mundane task that millions of women go through every day free from those conditions?
The answer is no.
It is my wish that all women have power.
The power to be safe.
To not only survive but thrive.
I think each of us was born with power beyond our imagination.
It is our life’s purpose to recognize the light that is already within us.
No one is powerless when we come together, no one is invisible when we demand to be seen.
A $24.99 purse from T.J. Maxx has sparked a nationwide scavenger hunt.
She’ll debut it on the court at an upcoming tournament.
The Duchess of York showed her fun-loving personality outside St. George’s chapel in Windsor.
The former POTUS revealed how he’s attempting to make it up to his wife.
He’s a proud dad.
Allow Sam McAlister, played in the Netflix film by Billie Piper, to explain.
She clearly wants to set herself apart from her powerhouse parents as she forges a career in Hollywood.
Same, Michelle, same.
“You were straddling that fence that I so often straddled as the wife of a politician.”
