Power Play #35: Build a person's reputation, so they have to live up to it

Each day entrepreneur Rose Herceg presents a how-to power tip that challenges the typical Machiavellian theories of power. This is the Power Playbook: your quick-fix guide to influencing people …in a good way.

Power Play #35: Build a person's reputation, so they have to live up to it

Power Players love making their people look like rock stars. They revel in the opportunity to show off other people's talents whenever and wherever they can. They love to tell a third party the story of how one of their own saved the day.

It's refreshing to hear Power Players praise others and never themselves. By doing this, they're reminding their best and brightest that much is expected of them – never a bad thing.

I once decided not to turn up to a meeting. My junior colleague and I were supposed to be wowing the CEO of a large company. With me a no-show, my colleague was left to have the big meeting on his own – in a fancy hotel lobby no less. I'd already told the CEO how amazing this guy was and that he'd be the one to watch. The CEO called me after the meeting (I lied and said I was unwell and apologised profusely for missing the whole shebang) and he told me that my colleague was magnificent.

The meeting had been set up to present a huge idea – an idea that would change the very direction of the company. The CEO loved it and was thrilled to be able to say yes to the project. My colleague (though terrified) stepped up to the plate. I knew he could – and he needed to know it too. I tell this story a million times to everybody who will listen. My colleague is now a star reporter at the country's leading newspaper.

Entrepreneur, strategist and author, Rose Herceg, co-founded Pophouse, specialising in social forecasting, market research and business strategy in 1998 before selling it to STW in 2006.

Until recently Rose was strategy director of the STW Group, working across 70 companies on strategy, social forecasting, trends analysis and innovation. She is currently developing several online start-ups in media and media content.