The Power of One
This article was first published in the Minden Times in March 2025.
At a recent presentation of the King Charles III Coronation medal to a Habitat for Humanity board colleague in Lakefield, (and fellow recipient Harry Pearson, father to our local painter of renown, Rose Pearson) their MP spoke about the Power of One to make change in the community, as both recipients had done, in abundance.
This resonated strongly with me: it’s my mantra. But also we are battered daily by the Power of One as it is being manifest by the Orange Dicktator. So clearly a) one is powerful, but b) that is no guarantee of change in the right direction. Which leads us to a consideration of how we choose to use the power we have.
First, let’s sweep off the table the idea that only some people have power. Everyone has power. I think I’ve mentioned before that in my early days of community organizing, mostly with Indigenous groups, our tag-line was ‘Power is: use it or be used by it.’ Accompanied by the sketch of a large thumb coming out of the sky toward a cowering little guy whose lower body is a corkscrew. Clearly that little man thought he was in danger of being screwed by a distant power. But on the other hand, screws denote solidity. They hold things in place more securely than nails. They are put into place by intentional persevering pressure, rather than harsh pounding. They are guided in the early stages to ensure that they take their place straight and true. When they nestle fully into their place, their heads are level with their environment, they don’t stand out, they are barely noticeable.
So that’s one way the power of one is made evident, by doing the little essential jobs that together allow a more complicated structure to become and remain functional.
Another perspective on power of one is the Tall Poppy Syndrome, whereby individuals who rise above their companions have their heads cut off. Dr. Rumeet Billan of McMaster University, in a study of 1500 Canadian women in professional positions conducted in 2018, found that 87.3% had been Tall Poppied. That is, their accomplishments were undermined and penalized – in various ways, ranging from ostracizing them, taking credit for their work, making them feel embarrassed or ashamed of their work, discouraging or disallowing celebration of their success, or actively knocking their heads off (refusing promotion, bullying, demotion, even dismissal). In 2023 Dr. Billan did a larger study of 4716 people, mostly women, in 103 countries: the findings were similar – 86.6% of the women were Tall Poppied.
I worry that Tall Poppyism is running amok in our country, that we Canadians who have a reputation for being nice are anything but nice to people in positions of leadership (not just women, although probably particularly women). Like, for example, elected officials – people we collectively put into positions of relative power. We nice Haliburtonians also practice Tall Poppyism. Think not? Catch a council meeting or two and see the expertise of staff be unreasonably questioned or outright maligned. Think about the tone of letters to the editor, or conversation with friends and neighbours over coffee or a beer, that denigrate and/or disrespect and/or misrepresent the accomplishments of our leaders. We ‘off with their heads!’ almost as summarily and enthusiastically and indiscriminately as the Orange Dicktator.
Tall Poppyism is not to be confused with critique. Analysis is the basis of critique – you have to figure out what you think, what your values are, what you stand before, before you can reasonably (that’s the crucial word) take a position. Analysis is hard work, a learned skill, that some don’t bother with; they just jump on whatever comes to mind (or more accurately gut – most people think with their feelings) and blurt it out. The less sure they are about their position, the louder and more nastily they say it. And some, if they’re called out on either their position or how they present it, take refuge in victimology, whining that they aren’t heard, aren’t understood, are being unfairly picked on. They think they’re the lopped-off head. (The Orange Dicktator is pretty good at that: bad bad Zelensky provoking him to a public temper tantrum by coming to the Oval Office improperly dressed!)
Bullan suggests that the tall poppy slayers are motivated by jealousy, insecurity, other-ism (in the studies, sexism, but in Haliburton County probably more related to seeing people as different on whatever basis – economic status, education, sophistication). This is bad because it drives the good guys away and leaves those who remain to race toward mediocrity. The solution is to raise awareness, have zero tolerance, and offer the slayers, should they wish to amend their behaviour, training in self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
And that sounds like as good a road as any to ensuring that the Power of One is well used.
