1.1 Power – businesses and corporations

Businesses can influence societies through discursive legitimacy (Hardy and Phillips, 1998; Purdy, 2012; Ba, 2022), for example, by changing and manipulating perceptions and expectations. Discursive-based power means businesses can access, influence, dominate and manipulate what is publicly discussed and communicated (Fairclough, 2002; Van Dijk, 1996; Ba, 2022).

In liberal democracies such as the United Kingdom, the economy plays a big part in politics. As you would recall, the economy played a crucial role in the Brexit referendum and is a common theme during electoral campaigns. Businesses can use the healthy economy argument to influence elected officials. In addition, businesses can get involved formally in politics through lobbying, campaign contributions and getting their representatives in politics either as elected officials, advisors or people moving across to work in the public sector (Hathaway, 2018, pp. 1–2). As a leader, you should understand corporate power and its manifestations to develop practical approaches to influence local, regional, and national businesses. It is vital to be aware of all potential entry routes for your leadership practices, whether these are exercised at a personal or group level.