When Lord Acton first uttered his famous words in 1887, “Power tends to corrupt, but absolute power corrupts absolutely,” he was unaware of how prophetic his words were. An English historian, liberal politician, and writer, Lord Acton was a staunch believer in individual rights and personal liberty, which he believed were under attack in his day by excessive institutional and governmental power. While he didn’t own a crystal ball and thus had no way of knowing how valid his words would become decades later, Lord Acton, like Shakespeare, understood human nature.

How does power corrupt? Essentially, power becomes corrosive when its influence is so broad that it affects all aspects of a person's life. When one's social, personal, and professional life is all consumed by power, then power tends to become addictive. When nothing else matters, that is, when one's values and ethical standards are dwarfed by power, then power rules the day. Like heroin, power can gradually take over every moment of the day until even life-giving activities, like eating and sleeping, are affected by power. In addition, the more pleasure is derived from power, the more likely it is to become addictive.

As a powerful person professionally, you’re the unwitting beneficiary of many gifts, both transparent ones and invisible pleasures. For one, you make a lot more money in your job than you did earlier, not only via your salary but in extras of all kinds, ranging from discounts, stock gifts, quid pro quos, and/or substantial donations to your pet projects. Regularly, you may receive valuable perks like top event tickets or hard-to-get reservations at new five-star restaurants. Second, you have a lot more "friends” when........

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