Power rarely sits with one person alone. Behind every iconic CEO, cultural figure or global influencer is a small, trusted circle shaping decisions, managing crises and steering influence behind the scenes. This book lifts the curtain on those figures: the fixers, advisors and powerbrokers who operate closest to power, yet remain largely unseen.
Drawn from interviews, The inner Circle explores what it really means to be the chief confidante and problem-solver to people whose influence rivals that of elected leaders. From private jets and penthouses to frantic midnight calls, boardroom standoffs and backstage chaos, readers are taken deep inside the lived reality of life behind The Person.
Featuring firsthand accounts from those who worked alongside figures including Mark Zuckerberg, Alexis Ohanian, Gloria Steinem, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and Atlassian founder Mike Cannon-Brookes, the book examines pivotal moments in business, technology, politics and culture. What lessons were learned during the formative years of Facebook and Reddit? How is influence sustained across generations of social change?
Structured across three sections - Inside the Boardroom, The Keepers of Culture and Guardians of Legacy, and Lessons from the Inside - The Inner Circle redefines leadership by shifting the focus from those in the spotlight to the quiet, strategic forces around them. Revealing that true power is rarely exercised alone and understanding it requires looking just beyond the visible centre.
INTERVIEWEES include
Amy Richards | Gloria Steinem
James Holt | Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Amy Glancey | Mike Cannon-Brookes, Founder of Atlassian
Annika Fragodt | Mark Zuckerberg, Founder of Meta
Lissie Garvin | Alexis Ohanian, Founder of Reddit
