Power Distance, Caudillos, and the Standards We Set

It was Monday, August 14, 2000.

First day on the job, first meeting as a construction professional.

The vice president of construction stood at the front of the room, scanning the incoming class of new managers like a man already questioning the job offers he made.

“I’ll leave you newbies with two pieces of advice,” he said. “I hope to hell, for your sake, you follow them.

“First, you don’t know s*** about construction. But we’ve placed you with people who do—so ask questions and take notes.”

I wrote that down.

“Second,” he continued, “whenever you find yourself hating your trades, hating your boss, hating your customers, or hating yourself, remember this: The quality you accept is the quality that sets the standard.”

At the time, we all nodded politely, not fully understanding what he meant. But as with all new hires, things eventually got really screwed up.

That’s how we learn.
That’s how we become leaders.

And leadership, fundamentally, requires followership.
If no one is following you, it’s tough to call you a leader.

This is where the concept of “power distance” comes in.

Power distance, in cultural intelligence circles, examines what less powerful members of a group expect and accept from those in authority, particularly when it comes to inequality.

Those two words—expect and accept—matter.

Expectations shape behavior, but acceptance determines whether leadership actually works. 

Inequality, in this context, refers to how unevenly power, status, and privilege are distributed.

To most Americans, inequality feels like something to challenge. After all, the country was founded on questioning authority and rejecting the divine right of kings.

So why would anyone ever expect or accept inequality?

In a word: culture. 

In many Hispanic cultures, there is a deep respect for authority and a wide degree of latitude granted to leaders. Hispanics often expect—and accept—a large gap between those at the top and everyone else.

This is high power distance.

Historically, this shows up in the rise of caudillos (cow-DEE-yohs)—charismatic strongmen who led local militias, protected their people, and were rewarded with extraordinary privileges.

They paid little to no taxes, were immune from prosecution, and operated above the law. In return, they provided order.

When that arrangement feels normal—when it’s expected and accepted—that’s high power distance.

And before we dismiss this as a historical or foreign phenomenon, let’s talk about work.

In our work at Hartmann & Co., I’ve seen low power-distance cultures where CEOs are accessible, outgoing, and unguarded. They high-five interns by name and take friendly abuse over fantasy football trades.

I’ve also seen high power-distance cultures where the CEO has his own private elevator so he doesn’t have to inadvertently mingle with the peasants he employs. In that office, authority is unquestioned and candor is a risk.

Neither model guarantees better results.
What matters is alignment.

The inequality you accept becomes the standard.

And that standard shapes who speaks up, who stays silent, who takes ownership, and who waits to be told what to do.

If you’re interested in gauging the power distance in your company now, don’t look at your org chart—watch behavior, because that’s what drives culture.

Who asks questions in meetings?
Who challenges bad ideas?
Who waits to be told what to do—even when they know better?

Those patterns aren’t personality traits.
They’re responses to the power distance that has become normalized. 

The quality you accept sets the standard—for projects, for people, and for power. 

Thanks for reading.
We’ll see you back here in two weeks. 

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Bradley Hartmann & Co.
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Contact Bradley Hartmann:
bradley@bradleyhartmannandco.com