Sidekick, understudy, protégé, second-in-command, lieutenant, second fiddle, and the best of all, the “second banana”.

These are all terms used for the person who stands behind Numero Uno—the Chief Executive Officer. I was inspired to focus on this when I came upon a Wall Street Journal review of “Consiglieri: Leading From the Shadows,” a new book by Richard Hytner that highlights the importance of the role of the lieutenant to the CEO.

His point is, while supremacy comes with significant influence and authority, true power can be found in much more interesting places than the CEO's chair. The second-in-command is typically a very influential place to be, a bit in the shadows, but in the limelight of true organizational power.