D/FW Airport, American Airlines, Gate C14.
“Now boarding, First Class. First Class only.”
An elegant 50-something woman, in a tailored suit, who is clearly someone who makes deals that shift markets, walks up with her sleek, silver Rimowa carry-on. The kind of carry-on that fits in every overhead bin, in every airplane on Earth but is just slightly too big for the metal “size checker” beside the jet bridge. The gate agent stops her and slides the bag into the size checker. The wheels stick out by less than half an inch.
Gate Agent (with audible satisfaction): “I’m sorry, ma’am. FAA policy says that this bag must be checked.”
CEO (in disbelief): “I have a very tight connection in New York.”
Gate Agent: “It seems like you should have considered that before you tried to board with a carry-on that is too large. Policy is policy.”
In that micro-moment, the agent outranks the CEO of every company.
Scene 2: The Pasta-Fork Diplomat
Two weeks later, that same CEO is at a swanky charity dinner. Mid-meal a waiter drops a fork; marinara splashes onto the CEO’s white linen dress. There are audible gasps from the table.
CEO (smiling): “Occupational hazard of always wearing white. You should see my laundry bill. Maybe someday I will learn.”
No lecture, no demand for the supervisor, no social-media tirade. The most powerful person in the room flexes restraint, because secure power rarely needs to be displayed.
The Small Scepter Effect - Why People Flex Power When They Have Less of It
When life gives someone very little control, status, security or agency, any situational authority, no matter how minor, feels like oxygen after a sprint. Think of this as compensatory control: when we are personally helpless, we restore order by exercising the little power we have, often by enforcing external rules. Add a dash of low status, and using that tiny power (often against someone higher on the food chain) becomes doubly rewarding. It both re-asserts control and narrows the social gap. This is “petty tyranny,” arbitrary, rule-bound behavior by minor authorities who “lord it over” others (think HOAs, call center agents, DMV clerks, hall monitors, or customer service agents). The person wielding a small scepter will use it anytime they have the chance.
Now flip the condition. Consider the person that has money, agency, control, influence and status plus stable, “can’t-be-taken-away” power. In this case, the incentives are a bit reversed. Those people tend to never exercise their influence on minor things. Because such a “petty flex” will threaten their earned reputation, invite scrutiny, and feel beneath them. As a result, genuine and stable power gets wielded sparingly, and fragile micro-power gets exercised whenever possible.
Scene 3: Justice Roberts and the Rookie Trooper
A rookie highway-patrol officer clocks a car doing 61 in a 55. He pulls it over and is handed a license: Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John G. Roberts. His knees wobble just a bit. Justice Roberts smiles: “I am sorry sir. I know I was speeding. You better write me up.” The trooper hesitates, and Justice Roberts encourages him to follow procedure. In the end, he lets the Justice off with a warning – one he didn’t request.
Why? Because he was suddenly conscious that his modest authority was respected by a person whose opinion tilts the Constitution of the United States. The small authority holder, suddenly face-to-face with towering influence, opted for leniency. Justice Roberts didn’t invoke his rank, status or power. He simply bowed to the small scepter – taking away the satisfaction of wielding it over him.
Power behaves less like a fixed trait and more like a gas that expands to fill the container we give it. When authority is tiny and precarious, it rushes outward, clinging to rule books, rigid measurements, and short-term returns. When power is vast and secure, it condenses into poise, humor, and a willingness to let others pass unscathed. If you look close, you will see the Small Scepter Effect everywhere in life. The smaller the scepter, the harder it’s waved; the larger the scepter, the less it needs to leave its velvet sheath.
