By Joe Byerly
We often hear that power reveals. That once someone has it, their true character is finally exposed. But what’s less often acknowledged, and arguably more important for you and I, is that the climb to power conceals. The ambition, the desire, the carefully curated persona; these all serve to mask the unsavory parts of a person’s character on the way up. People keep themselves in check because they must. The stakes are too high to show their hand.
Only at the top, with no more promotions to chase and no gatekeepers left to impress, does the mask slip. Or rather, it falls off.
In one of his essays, Plutarch observed this dynamic in the life of King Philip of Macedon. He wrote, “Philip seems to have undergone a thorough and puzzling change, from mild-mannered king to pernicious tyrant, and from well-behaved youth to debauched adult. In reality, though, this was no change of character, but the manifestation at a time of security of corruption he had long been too afraid to reveal.”
It’s when the mask slips, that it’s too late. He or she is now in a position to act the way they want to, the way they’ve always wanted to.
Centuries later, biographer Robert Caro echoed the same sentiment after spending decades studying political power. In his book Working, he writes: “…what power always does is reveal, because when you’re climbing, you have to conceal from people what it is you want to do. But once you get enough power… once you’re there, where you wanted to be all along, then you can see what the protagonist wanted to do all along, because now he’s doing it.”
But unchecked power is ruinous. “Just as wine at first is controlled by the nature of those who are drinking it,” Plutarch wrote in another essay, “but then stealthily, by warming and mixing into the drinker’s bodies, comes to control the drinkers’ character and to change their state…” The underbelly of character—once hidden—becomes their undoing.
One of the best ways to chisel away at the mask is through honest reflection—especially in those moments when we “act out of character.” Because the truth is, we rarely act out of character. More often, those moments reveal something underneath the mask that’s worth paying attention to.
Maybe it’s an angry outburst that seems out of proportion.
Maybe it’s a snide comment about a person—or a group—that slips out when our guard is down.
Maybe it’s what we reach for when we’re tired, stressed, or too worn out to pretend anymore.
These moments are windows into our true character. They show us what still needs to be addressed before we find ourselves in a place where no one can challenge us—and where those unexamined parts could do real harm.
None of us are above the dangers of concealed ambition or the slow intoxication of authority. The difference between those who lead with character and those who fall from grace isn’t a matter of moral superiority. It’s awareness. It’s reflection. It’s the willingness to confront the darker corners of our ambition before we find ourselves in positions where no one can tell us no.
The climb offers each of us an opportunity, before it’s too late. We get the chance to build the kind of inner architecture that can withstand the temptations of the summit. A chance to form the habits of humility, restraint, and self-examination that will carry us through when the spotlight is brightest and the accountability is thinnest.
Joe Byerly is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with 20 years of service, including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and command of a cavalry squadron in Europe. He earned numerous awards, including multiple Legion of Merits, Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, and General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award. In 2013, Joe founded From the Green Notebook.
A passionate advocate for self-knowledge through reading and reflection, he authored The Leader’s 90-Day Notebook and co-authored My Green Notebook: “Know Thyself” Before Changing Jobs, a resource for leaders seeking greater self-awareness. If this post resonated with you or sparked any questions, feel free to reach out to him at Joe@fromthegreennotebook.com.
