I’ve always found that real power lies not in wearing the crown, but in deciding who gets to wear it. Being the one who shapes events from behind the scenes, influencing the course of history without ever taking the throne myself, that’s where the real art of leadership exists. Kings may rule, but kingmakers decide who rules, and if you understand that distinction, you understand how the world truly works.

Fictional Merlin is the classic example. He never sat on a throne, never commanded armies in his own name, but without him, there would be no King Arthur. He orchestrated Uther Pendragon’s deception to conceive Arthur, mentored the boy in secret, and, when the time was right, revealed him to the world. Merlin shaped a kingdom without ever ruling it, and yet when Arthur finally stood on his own, Merlin’s influence faded. That’s the risk of the role, you create power, but you don’t always get to keep it.

Real world history is full of figures like him. Cardinal Richelieu, for example, controlled France with an iron grip, despite serving under King Louis XIII. His policies, his political maneuvers, his relentless drive to centralize power under the monarchy, all of it laid the foundation for France’s future, yet Richelieu himself was not king. He didn’t need to be. He knew that power is best wielded by those who don’t have to endure the weight of the crown.

Even Machiavelli, in The Prince, seemed to understand this dynamic. The king is the one in the spotlight, the one who takes the fall when things go wrong. The kingmaker, on the other hand, operates from a safer distance. If a ruler fails, the kingmaker can simply step back, find another candidate, and start again. That’s the beauty of working in the background, longevity, adaptability, and an ability to control without being controlled.

Modern storytelling has embraced this figure, and perhaps no one embodies it better than Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones. Tywin never sat the Iron Throne, but he ensured that his family remained in power. He was the architect, the strategist, the one who held the true reins of authority while others played at being rulers. And yet, like so many kingmakers, his mistake was in believing he was untouchable. His own underestimation of those closest to him led to his downfall.

I know this world. I’ve played my part in choosing leaders, shaping narratives, and building influence without ever stepping directly into the spotlight. The best part of being a kingmaker is that your influence can outlast rulers themselves, but the danger is always there, push too far, control too tightly, and eventually, those you’ve lifted up will turn on you. The trick is knowing when to let go, when to fade into the background, and when to start building the next king before the old one realizes he was never really in charge to begin with. So, who are today’s kingmakers? And should we be doing more to bring them into the light in these days of threats to our democracy?