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Power and influence (Tareq al-Suwaidan)

القوة والنفوذ

Tareq al-Suwaidan's lecture in the Leaders' Academy on influence in organisations: authority, responsibility and influence distinguished, five general laws, long-term strategies, and how to recognise and resist malicious tactics while keeping to ethics.

Depth

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Region
Global / Diaspora

Politics, governance and authorityEthics and character

Summary

"Power and influence" is a two-part lecture that Tareq al-Suwaidan gives in the Leaders' Academy. He says he had given it only to the young people of this academy and to no one else. 1 When he studied management, he says, influence was not taught. It was thought negative, intangible and broadly unethical, until management scholars found that organisations could not be understood without it. 2 3 He presents the subject so that his trainees will recognise these tactics and not fall victim to them. Ethics, he says, must govern any use of them. 4 The laws and strategies below are his teaching.

Authority, responsibility and influence

He separates three terms. Authority is "the right given to the official to act and be obeyed". Responsibility is "the commitment to achieve the goals". 5 Influence differs from both because it belongs to the person, not the post. When an official moves to another post, his authority stays behind for whoever fills it, but his influence goes with him. 6 He defines influence as the ability to bring about a change that is not supposed to happen, without being punished for it. 7 It can come from family, knowledge or money. A young man or woman with none of these can still acquire it, and he holds that it must be learned and can be trained. 8 9 Some influence is good and some bad, he says, and most of what is seen is bad, but not all of it. 9

Five general laws

  1. Understand your organisation: its plan, where it stands and where it is going, and its centres of influence. 10
  2. Be flexible: give up some things for bigger ones. 11 12
  3. Seek "win-win". 12
  4. Keep to ethics. He says it is a great illusion that life runs only on cheating and lies, and that a person bound by ethics can achieve a great deal. 13
  5. Think before you act and before you speak, and learn silence. 13 14

He weighs the effects of influence tactics on both sides. They can breed power struggles, lies and backbiting. Understanding them eases negotiation, wins the respect of shrewd counterparts, blocks destructive behaviour and sharpens decisions. He says everything finally depends on intention. 15 16 17 18 On mutual respect between the shrewd he tells how Umar ibn al-Khattab, hearing of a cunning Byzantine commander called al-Artabun, sent Amr ibn al-As against him. 19 20

Strategies

He sets the trainees five test cases, such as public criticism in meetings, a blocked promotion and rumours, and then gives long-term strategies. 21 22 They are: a positive spirit without complaint; learning negotiation and persuasion; patience; deep social relationships with superiors outside work, which leave a person "immune"; a wide network inside and outside the organisation; and long-term goals that keep one from reacting to small things. 22 23 24 25 Among his tactical advice: be visible; market yourself and your ideas; gather information, because "information is power"; and never truly lose your temper, because "whoever loses his nerve loses his control". 26 27 28 29

In the second part he says professionals "play billiards" in relationships, reaching a decision-maker through whoever he listens to. He also says real influence does not always match rank on the organisation chart. 30 31 He advises making one's abilities known to those who decide rather than waiting for one's work to speak. He illustrates this with a story about Abd al-Rahman al-Dakhil and a young soldier who congratulated him without ceremony after a victory. 32 33

Situations to refuse, and mistakes

He lists situations to refuse: backing a superior one knows to be wrong; taking the blame for others; even listening to backbiting and talebearing; acting against one's ethics, because "the end does not justify the means"; revealing a secret; letting others take one's ideas; and promoting a project one believes will fail. 34 35 36 37 38 39 On keeping secrets he tells how Aisha kept the Prophet ﷺ's preparation for the march on Mecca from her own father. 40 41 After a mistake the best course, he says, is to admit it and do something positive. "Sorry is a golden word." The mistake should be corrected quickly, anyone harmed compensated, and the matter not reopened. 42 43 44 45

Malicious tactics

He then describes malicious tactics, he says, so that they are neither fallen into nor practised. 4 Against blackmail he advises disclosing one's own secret rather than conceding anything. Against a deliberately hostile climate he says to leave. 46 47 His general rules of resistance include allies, analysis before action, admitting one's weaknesses up front, and multiplying alternatives, because "the more alternatives, the better the decision". He adds that no end justifies lying or betrayal. 48 49 50 51 On close partnerships he gives his own rule: he takes a partner only after ten years of relationship. 52 He closes by saying this knowledge is absent among Islamic activists in particular, and that he hopes for a climate that is clean but open, in which no one is deceived. 53

Connections

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Subject of
Akadimiyyat I'dad al-Qada, the Academy for Preparing Leaders (filmed training course)

People and things also explored

Leadership and the leader's six roles· Situational leadership· Vision and mission in strategic planning· Strategic planning· Operational planning· Teamwork and running meetings· Life management and choosing one's field· Key performance indicators (KPI)

Sources

  1. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:02:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  2. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:02:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  3. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:03:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  4. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:25:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  5. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:04:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  6. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:05:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  7. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:06:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  8. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:07:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  9. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:09:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  10. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:12:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  11. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:13:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  12. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:14:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  13. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:15:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  14. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:15:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  15. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:17:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  16. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:20:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  17. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:21:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  18. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:24:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  19. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:21:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  20. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:22:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  21. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:24:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  22. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:38:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  23. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:39:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  24. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:40:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  25. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:41:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  26. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:42:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  27. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:42:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  28. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:44:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  29. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 19, at 00:46:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  30. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:03:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  31. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:04:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  32. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:05:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  33. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:06:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  34. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:09:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  35. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:10:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  36. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:10:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  37. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:11:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  38. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:14:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  39. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:16:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  40. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:13:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  41. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:14:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  42. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:18:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  43. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:19:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  44. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:22:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  45. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:22:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  46. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:34:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  47. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:37:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  48. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:38:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  49. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:39:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  50. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:40:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  51. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:41:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  52. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:51:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  53. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Leadership Development Academy 1, episode 20, at 00:54:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Power and influence (Tareq al-Suwaidan)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/al-quwwa-wal-nufudh/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-11-07.

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Leadership and the leader's six roles

Leadership in Tareq al-Suwaidan's teaching: the ability to move people toward a goal; the leader works only in six roles — planning, innovation, building key relationships, solving chronic problems, developing himself and others, and appreciation — everything else is management, delegated.