Power, Politics and Leadership — The Spanish Princess Netflix Series
Episode 6: Corporate Politics Lesson — Finding the key to the Power trade-offs
Characters:
King Henry VII
Prince Harry
Queen Elizabeth
Princess Catherine
Prince Arthur
Chaplain Wolsely
The Queen of Castille (Joanah, Christina’s sister)
When things do not go as planned, as they are likely to, in the game of power and politics.
In this Episode
In a rather interesting turn of events, England receives a visitor from Spain. Princess Catherine’s sister (now the Queen of Castille) arrives in England, blown away by the storm on her way from France to Spain, to claim her throne. Sadly, this visit reveals the news that Princess Catherine’s mother has passed. Apart from the grief of mourning her beloved mother, this places Princess Catherina in a predicament. All her hopes of her mother fulfilling her dowry obligation and for her to marry Prince Harry are now thwarted. She also learns that she no longer has a claim to her dowry. Her rank has changed, making her a less suitable match for Prince Henry. Her trickster father refuses to pay the dowry for her.
She soon learns that her sister has no interest in paying her dowry, in fact, she sees this as an opportunity for settling old scores. According to her, Princess Catherine had always had her own way and received the attention and love of her mother. Not this time. Queen of Castille has no interest in love and marriage. Trapped in an unhappy marriage with a power-hungry husband set on belittling her, she encourages Catherine to not marry.
Have you ever found yourself in a tight corner?
What to do when the chips are down
Firstly, it is important to know that in the game of corporate and life, seasons will change. Winter is not forever. At one time, the odds may be in your favor. Ride the wave and be kind to others. When a season changes, acknowledge it as such and find ways to survive and recover. This wisdom will keep you safe from running against the tide.
The Tools that the Spanish Princess applies are as follows:
- Finding who has a position of power — a trade
The Spanish Princess realizes that the key to getting out of this predicament is her sister as her father has outrightly stated that he would not pay her dowry. She just has to find the appropriate offer that will encourage her to concede. Initially, she appeals to her emotions and the bond they share, but it does not work. Her sister has her own demons and what she considers as precious memories have an opposite impact to the Queen of Castille.
- Courage to Test the offer
Princess Catherine, persists. She tries a number of times to appeal to the Queen of Castille for help with paying her dowry. She fails. With each failed attempt, she controls her emotions, she acutely pays attention and listens. This is a very important attribute. Not giving up in the face of adversity is a staying power that differentiates many who progress into power from others. Having the courage to revisit the offer until you find the key that unlocks that door is a superpower.
- Grit and resilience
Princess Christina displays prowess and grit. The ability to go through shame, ridicule and pain, without flinching and using these as a resource to forge forward. Each time she loses the trade, she takes the lesson. She pays careful observation on the character of the object of interest, her sister, and keeps seeking to understand her interest in order to find an angle.
“Know the game” — know who’s who and where to find them. Stakeholder mapping is very important, knowing who is who, what are their interests, and what leverage one can get out of each.
Princess Christina finally finds the hook. She offers the Queen of Castille a key to her freedom, but before then, she negotiates for her commitment to pay for her dowry. By understanding the tree of influence, she unlocks what everyone was blind to, the leverage.
- Networking
With all of this, one can never discount the value of networking. Princess Catherina gets to formulate different strategies as she continues to put her ear on the ground, understanding what is required and which card to play.
Reflection Questions
- Who are the political players around you?
- Can you identify what is important to them?
- Have you identified your network gaps?
- What are you doing to fill these gaps?
